Taxi Driver Online

Taxi Scheme to help revellers


BLAENAU Gwent Council has joined forces with Gwent Police to help people get home safely at night by texting them the contact numbers for licensed taxis.

Cabsafe was launched across Gwent this week – just in time for the Christmas and New Year party season.

Anyone who needs a lift home can text CAB to 83222 and will receive a text back with the numbers of the three closest licensed and regulated taxis.

Taxi firms taking part have agreed to prioritise Cabsafe calls from vulnerable females. Their location is pinpointed via satellite through their mobile phone signal.

Cabsafe was launched in Carmarthenshire in August 2006 – and 1,800 text requests for taxis have been received.

Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen councils have all signed up with Gwent Police to extend the Cabsafe scheme across Gwent.

In Blaenau Gwent, nine taxi firms have already signed up.

Posters telling people what they need to do have been placed in licensed premises, council buildings, hairdressers, takeaways, colleges, retail outlets, hospitals and doctors’ surgeries. Business cards have been given to taxi companies taking part so they can be handed out to customers.

Coun Keith Barnes, Executive Member for the Environment, said:

“Unlicensed taxi drivers and vehicles pose a serious risk to passengers as they may not be insured. We encourage people to make sure any taxi they use is legal, so the Cabsafe scheme will help to make this easier.

“The safety of the public is so important and we would ask any taxi company not already signed up to this scheme to consider doing so.

“Cabsafe is an innovative scheme which will give people more choice and will ensure all vehicles and drivers they use are legal.

“Our licensing enforcement officers have prosecuted a number of ghost taxis in the past few years and this scheme will help to tackle the problem of unlicensed operators in the county borough.

“I urge anyone needing a taxi to take advantage of this scheme.”

Inspector Terry Davies, community safety department Gwent Police, said: “This is a major step forward in making sure people get home safely after a night out.

“During the Christmas season we are urging people to be responsible when they go out for the night and getting home safely is a major part of it.”

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin