Taxi Driver Online

Taxi firm boss brands social media lifts a 'horror story'

A taxi firm boss has branded a trend where people arrange lifts through social media apps as a 'horror story'.

Some drivers in Worthing have reportedly been posting on social media to advertise lifts for people going on nights out. It sparked concern from some quarters of the community that young or vulnerable passengers could be taken advantage of by strangers.

Andy Hall, director of taxi firm Wortax, based in Victoria Road, Worthing, has spoken out against the trend. He said: "There are all kinds of risks involved in this day and age. "With what you hear in the news every day, I think it is a horror story to be honest. It is an accident waiting to happen."

Mr Hall, who has been in the role for three years, said he had not noticed it affecting their business, but that as a father he would not be happy for his children to use such a service. He said: "If they used a taxi, the journey would be recorded. But if they went missing in one of these drivers' cars, there is no record. "You don't know the state of the car; you don't know if it is safe; you don't know how many people they are trying to fit in the vehicle; you don't know the history of the driver."

He said all his drivers have to be DBS-checked, and their vehicles must have two MOT tests: a normal one and a more stringent test for taxi drivers, which checks the state of the seat belts and upholstery among other criteria. If there was an accident and the passenger needed surgery, he said his drivers are insured for £10million in public liability insurance as a minimum - but a regular driver may not have this kind of cover, or have insurance at all.

Mr Hall, who has himself driven taxis for five years, said accepting a lift in a car with a stranger could leave passengers vulnerable. He said: "Every journey is recorded in a booking system. You know who did the job and where they have been taken to and from. If something were to happen in one of these cars, where is your proof? You may have been assaulted but there would be no evidence you were in that car at that time."

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IDFIMH

The youngsters these days are often so stupid that they'll think nowt of taking a Facebook arranged lift from a friend of a friend of a friend and then 4 of them will give the manic boy racer in his illegal vehicle £10 a head (£40) in total for a run that had they booked a PH or a hack only cost them £20 in total or £5 each....plus they have more chance of meeting a premature death with their Manic facebook driver who justs loves showing off his 1.2l Corsa.

As a parent Facebook opportunist lift givers turn my stomach..they are just not safe.

This has been going on for years.

Same as the 'volunteer driver' brigade. 40 of them in our town, running OAPs around town and off to hospital for a donation to cover costs of about 2/3 the taxi price.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Its the same here in East Sussex
I had a email mail from Wealden Council telling me to contact CTLA and they will take me to the doctors and back by car for £5

It's a pity licencing officers aren't more pro-active against these lift-givers using the Rout-v-Swallow Hotels as case law. Or the Pink Ladies case. Both are listed on here in the court cases database.

Any drivers giving these lifts would not be covered on their insurance for hire and reward either.