Safe ride?

Yesterday (Tuesday October 21) peers in the House of Lords pushed a Bill through, which Unite believes will put public safety – especially women’s safety in jeopardy.

Clause 12 of the deregulation Bill will allow firms to sub-contract bookings to operators in a different district.

Meaning you could book your taxi with a private hire firm you regularly use and feel safe with – for a driver from a completely different firm that you don’t know to turn up.

In an opinion poll by the Local Government Association (LGA) 80 per cent of women said they would be concerned if they booked a journey with one firm and a different one turned up. And now that’s exactly what could happen.

“In London, there were 25 sexual assaults by minicab drivers every week and last year there were 287 assaults,” said Tommy McIntyre, Unite national taxi rep.

This Bill has been opposed by Unite and other taxi trade unions, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the Survivors Trust, all 19 police commissioners, the Institute of Licensing and the LGA. But the government clearly isn’t listening.

“You wouldn’t even know if the firm that turns up is actually licensed,” added Tommy. “So in reality you would just be getting in to a strangers car. How is this safe?”

Being able to pass jobs from one operator to another would make local licensing enforcement impossible. Currently only the licensing officers from a licensing authority area have the power to take enforcement action against the vehicle and driver.

Clause 12 could result in vehicles and drivers working hundreds of miles from their licensing authority.

“You could be licensed in Liverpool and work in London,” said Tommy. “It will be impossible to police – in fact the police back us up on this.”

Further concern if clause 12 isn’t stopped when it reaches the House of Common’s is the growth of mega-car firms like Addison Lee and Uber threatening smaller firms survival.

“We call on MPs to seriously rethink this issue when the Bill returns to the House of Commons,” added Tommy.

You may be interested to know that women’s safety is apparently not a priority for the Lib Dems. Sixty three out of 65 voted in favour of deregulation of taxis.