Taxi Driver Online

Social media used in fight against illegal plying



Frustrated Leicester Hackney Carriage drivers have taken an initiative to counter flimper or illegal plying in their city.

After years of asking Leicester City Council to help combat the increase of illegal hiring’s – drivers have now launched their own information page on facebook – for both customers and drivers to report incidents.

The site is called ‘Leicester Flimpers’, it provides information, photos and daily news to the City of Leicester in their on-going fight.

The head of the website team ‘Moz’ – explained he has had many confrontations with private hire drivers who don’t appear to care that they were stealing fares from licensed hackney carriages or the dangers they bring with incorrect insurance provision. He further added – “customers were so confused of what is legal, the correct fare, etc – he had to do something positive fast”.

In one incident last week – Moz remarked had left him startled by the sheer ignorance of the ‘flimpers’ in the city — the incident involving a 7 seater private hire vehicle touting and flimping in one go. Having witnessed the whole incident – he even heard the fare shouted – being a £7 increase off the meter price.

Moz and others now say apart from the flimping they will also kill trade by making genuine customers scared to step in any taxi.

Using facebook and social media will help provide good information to the public and also a deterant for flimpers whos photos could be posted by customers in an illegal taxi.

The soution isnt revenge or entrapment Moz commented – its helping the council focus directly on the problem and averting risks and hazards associated with the flimping.

link to Leicester Flimpers via facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008454840398

source: http://www.national-taxi-association.co.uk/?p=8206

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

Cab drivers use Facebook to battle private hire 'flimpers'



Taxi drivers have launched an online campaign to expose cabbies who illegally pick up passengers – a practice known as flimping.

Private hire vehicles are not allowed to pick up casual fares in the street and can only collect passengers by appointment.

Only black cabs, also known as Hackney Carriages, can be hailed in the street.

Offenders can face prosecution, a fine and the loss of their licence.

A Hackney Carriage driver, who works in the city centre at night, has created a page, Leicester Flimpers, on Facebook on which he is posting photographs of alleged flimping incidents.

The driver, who has asked to remain anonymous, said other drivers are enthusiastically backing his campaign and have started sending him photographs of other alleged incidents.

He said that his campaign was about public safety because private hire cabs are not insured to carry passengers unless they are booked in advance.

He said: “It is a slow process to prove that a driver is guilty of flimping.

“An investigation into a single incident can take months.

“The council needs specific evidence and we’re hoping we’re going to be able to provide that proof by taking pictures of drivers who are doing it.

“Also, the drivers who are flimping might stop if they think there’s a chance they’re going to end up on Facebook.

“Private hire cars are not insured to carry passengers if they have just picked them up in the street, so this is a serious public safety issue.

“The general public tend to not understand the law around flimping. They see a car to take them home and they will get in.

“They have to realise that they will not be insured if there is an accident.

“As Christmas is coming there will be more people shopping and visiting the city centre at night.

“We see incidents of flimping every day and it will only get worse over the next few weeks.”

Leicester City Council has previously run undercover operations to track down flimping private hire cabs.

However, a city council spokesperson said: “Our enforcement team already carry out exercises to crack down on illegal pick-ups made by private hire mini-cabs – or flimping – and where there is sufficient evidence, we do prosecute.

“Drivers convicted of flimping risk losing their licence.


Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Cab-d ... z3HplHyzLx

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