Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers fitting screens for safety in cabs


TAXI drivers in North East Lincolnshire are shielding themselves from passengers to screen out robberies.

Although police say attacks in the area are rare, some drivers said they still felt vulnerable, and have begun having plastic screens fitted around their seat.

The screens, which cost about £250, shield the driver at the side of their seat and behind it.

Two drivers for Links Taxis have already had the screens fitted and say they have received a lot of attention.

One of them, a 34-year-old man who does not wish to be named, said: It hasn't happened to me but you hear a lot of nightmare stories. I certainly feel better with the screen there.

"Nearly everyone I have picked up has commented on it. Some people feel offended by it, and it is less personal. However, most people think it is a good idea and I think it is a small price to pay if it stops me being attacked."

Insp Tom Shaw, alcohol and violence reduction champion for North East Lincolnshire, said attacks on taxi drivers are rare.

"These are isolated incidents and are a very rare occurrence in the area," he said.

"However, anything that protects taxi drivers is a good idea so I am very much in favour of it.

"If taxi drivers are experiencing attacks, I would urge them to report it to the police so that we can bring the perpetrators to justice."

Dave Atkin, chairman of the Hackney Carriage Association in North East Lincolnshire, agrees that attacks are rare.

"They are certainly very common in big cities, but in this area attacks on drivers are few and far between," he said.

"There are certainly not many occurrences, although the potential is always there, so I think that screens are a good idea for a driver who feels vulnerable."

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

I don't think we are allowed to have them but I could be wrong. I remember a good few years ago seeing a couple of saloons with them fitted but I think they were told to remove them.

As I said earlier I'd feel like I was in a bubble and tbh if I felt that unsafe I wouldn't do the job

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

It's impersonal imo and breeds problems, most of the guys who drive WAV's with the screen have more problems than saloon's do, you can't get the rapport going with ppl and I feel they feel like a DHL delivery and can also plot to kick up thinking you can't hear them, best course is to not let those you have a bad feeling about in, I did it last night, 3 idiots who specifically pointed me out from a kebab shop, then came over, I denied them on the grounds of food, as I picked up someone else one of them instructed my customer to bump me, boy would I have loved to have met them incog on my night out where I wasn't identifiable, the law allows these pack rats to ruin others nights out, they weren't ruining mine and hopefully they will strut infront of a bus sometime soon.