Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers criticised for refusing to take females on journeys deemed 'too short' in wake of city sex attacks

The anger comes after three women were attacked in five days in the city and warnings were given for women not to walk home alone

Taxi drivers in Cardiff are under fire over claims they are refusing to take passengers on journeys that are deemed too short.

It comes just days after cab drivers in the city assured students they would not be turned away for short-distance taxi trips, after three sex attacks in the capital in just five days.

Following a call from Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens, the capital’s taxi association rejected claims some drivers have previously refused short-distance fares.

'Be as helpful as you possibly can'

Mathab Khan, the chair of the Cardiff Hackney Cabs Association, said: “Our advice to our drivers is to be as helpful as you possibly can, especially when it comes to lone female students. We say ‘Please take them, they are vulnerable’.

Matthew Horwood Protestors take part in a 'Reclaim The Night' march through Cardiff city centre following recent sex attacks against women in Cardiff

Protestors take part in a 'Reclaim The Night' march through Cardiff city centre following recent sex attacks against women in Cardiff

Mr Khan told the BBC the only time a cab driver would refuse a fare was if the passenger was unfit to travel, due to excessive drink.

“99.9% of the taxi drivers in Cardiff are very helpful,” he said.

But this has been rejected by many women, some who tried to get a taxi home on Friday night.

Read more: Detectives investigating sex attacks bail 22-year-old man

Leah Davies, who was trying to get home after a night out in the city centre, says she was turned down by five different drivers.

She wrote on Facebook: “Absolutely shaking with rage at Cardiff taxi drivers. Refusing to take myself, a young girl, on her own, because she lives “too close”. Too close being a 20 minute walk, along the riverside, in a slightly dodgy area.

'You'd think they'd have some compassion'

“Especially with the sex attacks that’s happened over the past few days, you’d think they’d have some compassion.”

Amy Jones said: “I work as a manager in the city centre at an entertainment venue where I frequently work late nights. I don’t trust the taxi drivers in town, so I often drive and pay for a couple of hours parking and then drive home in the early hours.

Read more: Protest march spreads message women should not live in fear

“Last Saturday night (September 19) I was working. With the match on, I knew there was no way I would be able to park. So I paid for a bus fare into town, with enough cash on me to pay for a taxi home in Roath.

“At the end of the night - at approximately 2am - I started asking the taxis to take me home.

“I know they often refuse short distance fares so I just said “home” - not specifying a location.

"I asked over a dozen taxis to take me home - outside Prince of Wales, further up along St Mary Street and at the top of St Mary Street by the castle. Every single one of them told me they weren’t in a rank and they didn’t have to take me.

“I ended up in tears - and still no one would take me. In light of the sexual assaults, I was terrified, but could see no other solution than to attempt to walk home.

'I'm getting increasingly nervous'

“Fortunately I made it home safely well past 3am - almost 4am.”

“With more match days looming and bus strikes coming up, I’m getting increasing nervous about how I’m going to get to work.”

Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins said: “Cardiff city’s taxi association has rejected claims that they have refused short distance fares.

Read more: A guide on how to stay safe when you're out alone

“I have experienced this myself, whereby a taxi driver has deemed it too short a journey to take me somewhere”.

“At a time when there has been a series of attacks on women in the city, taxi drivers have a social duty to take those shorter fares”.

'Hold talks immediately'

“I would urge Cardiff council to hold talks immediately with the taxi association in the city to rectify this matter with urgency.”

The criticism comes as police continue to question a 23-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault in connection with one of the alleged incidents.

On Saturday, Remus Hamza, 40, appeared in court charged with rape following an alleged incident in the capital’s civic centre area.

He will appear again at Cardiff Crown Court on October 12.

source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... e-10144601

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

And when Uber storm in, they'll be up in arms.

It's the same round Mansfield, they're cherry picking to fuck but the Council don't know what cherry picking is.

The drivers here prefer the very short journeys. They make more on the flagfall than on the mileage.

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Grandad,

If Councils install conditions that don't allow drivers to earn a basic living, then I do wonder what councils expect the results would be.

I'm the same after 11pm, £4 for only going up the road, that'll do me.

From the girls Facebook Page.

Absolutely shaking with rage at Cardiff taxi drivers. Refusing to take myself, a young girl, on her own, because she lives "too close"...too close being a 20 minute walk, along the riverside, in a slightly dodgy area. Especially with the sex attacks that's been happened recently over the past few days you'd think they'd have some compassion. Cardiff council really need to sort their [edited by admin] out and crack down on these absolute [edited by admin] drivers. I even asked "are you booked" their answer was no, so I started getting in the taxi, telling them I was going to Cardiff Bay, but then they decide to refuse to take me..."Oh sorry I can't take you try the cab in front." Ummmm already have. 5 cabs down the line and finally one saviour of a man pulls up, and asks where I'm going as he noticed I was on the brink of tears, stood in the middle of the road, absolutely fuming that taxi drivers refuse fares that they deem too close. Cardiff council need to realise that this is not ok. They really need to sort these awful taxi drivers out. And this isn't even the first time. This happens every single time I go out!!! The council, the uni, the local mps, are all rabbiting on about how you shouldn't walk home alone....yeah. We don't want to walk home alone...
But the majority of cardiff taxi drivers don't want to [edited by admin] take us!!!! So what choice do we have?! When it's so hard to get a taxi to take us?! Please SHARE THIS POST guy's and gals... Cardiff council officials need to see this, it can't be just me that has this problem with getting a taxi home alone, almost every week!!! Share share and share please!!!!


https://www.facebook.com/leahbean/posts ... 78?fref=nf

This is the type of mentality that we are up against! Of course we should all be allowed to walk down the street near stark naked if one wishes ! Oh by the way that is one of the protesters.

We then get the Lets blame the taxi driver brigade, the truth being is that it has been problematic for quite some time due to the fact that the tariff last had an increase 4 years ago of something like 2.3% to cover fuel costs that had escalated massively. The previous raise in the tariff was some 3 years prior to that, the reality being is that a proper raise has not happened for over 7 years, the proof being is that we were something like 53/56 in the P.H tables, now down to 200+.

Unlike many on here who can make a decent living doing short fares, you just cannot down here due to (1) the tariff only being an extra £1 after midnight and only an extra £1 per passenger over 4 to any part of the City, tbh not nearly enough again proven by the fact that most of the Cities cabs are over 10 years old (not enough money being made to replace), (2) the taxi traffic is so bad due to deregulation 450 up to 967 cabs,traffic lights galore + mountains of speed bumps etc it is just not possible to nip around the City and to make a decent return. The consequence being is that drivers are only too happy to get out of the City at peak times, making decent money in return that keeps them in business.

Unfortunately the problem was exasperated by a very busy Saturday night "England v Wales"! We then get these women that are so worried about their safety that (1) they did not take any personal responsibility in making sure that they can get home (2) they are it would seem so incompetent that they still cannot comprehend that mobiles exist, and that they can ring P.H companies who can get them home safely. Instead of that they would rather claim that week in and week out..........they cannot get home

The rapes/sexual assaults have been carried out by an animal........."lets bring the Taxi cabs into the problem and blame them as well"!

The negligence of the L.A of allowing the tariff to drop to below National Minimum wage levels........"we should also blame the drivers for that as well.

As ever there are two sides to a story - unfortunately "A young girl" knowing she has to go through a dodgy area, knowing (her words) every time I go out it happens....still does not take responsibility so I will tarnish the reputations of the good guys

A great world that we live in - a rapist is out there....taxi drivers get dragged into it

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Common sense........is just not that Common.

I feel your pain, apart from rugby days like saturday the amount of taxis about in cardiff is ridiculous. Also If u get unlucky with the traffic lights it can take an eternity to get out of the city.

It is not the LA that has allowed the tariff to drop to that extent. That is the fault of the trade. Why are you not asking for a tariff review every year?

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Grandad,

Because it's like everywhere else, you'll get some dime bar that will oppose the increase stating, "it will ruin the trade." They'll be the first one to have their meters changed over.

If we get that here, and we do, it goes to consultation. members of the trade are asked to put forward their proposals and then the trade vote on the proposals. The proposal with the most votes is then put forward to the Council for consideration.

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Grandad,

Right on the nail! Every other business pubs/clubs/takeaways and especially hotels have increased their prices, except the taxi trade . Part of the problem is short sighted taxi drivers who see hundreds of cabs out every night and get a pitiful return during the week......are then afraid that they will earn even less. If the truth be known it is a downward spiral, with that in mind the L.A/council should take safe guards to ensure that enough income is being generated to ensure that the drivers can keep their cars/cabs up to a modern standard.

The proof being is that the 10 year rule that was in place now seems to have gone out of the window, I now see cabs out there, that are 53 plates.



Our representatives go forward with a proposal! Dragon taxis (500 cars/cabs) who are basically P.H but also have Hacks usually put forward their proposals (generally lower) - guess which one goes through? they always neglect to mention that their 5+ seaters charge a fare and one third, whereas ours is a maximum of £1 for a fifth passenger. Basically they have a slightly different tariff whereby their drivers can make more, however the Council always seem to take their side.

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Common sense........is just not that Common.

Are you lot duel badged or do you have separate badges for Hackney and PH? If drivers are allowing a company to dictate the prices then as TT would say, "you need to get organised." Only people with a hackney drivers badge should be able to have a say. Companys should have no say whatsoever.

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Grandad,

We have dual badges. My argument has always been that there is conflict of interest with them being allowed input as basically they have two tariffs working from the same company, i.e their own, and the L.A tariff that their hacks are supposed to use As always big business carries clout with the Council siding with them a number of times over the years re tariffs.

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Common sense........is just not that Common.