Taxi Driver Online

By rank queue-jumpers I mean the drivers, not the punters...


But nothing particularly new about the sort of stuff below, but maybe the 'tips' here are a bit different from the norm.

Sure I read something similar elsewhere recently, so maybe police now advising to look out for more subtle hints rather than checking plates and badges etc

But arguably equally problematic in that it could cause confusion and conflict rather than clarifying...


Travelling safely by taxi – police issue advice

https://www.northants.police.uk/news/no ... ue-advice/

The police officer leading a new operation to prevent sexual offending in Northamptonshire’s town centres is issuing a reminder to those travelling by taxi – always verify the driver is licensed to carry passengers.

Operation Kayak was launched last month and non-uniformed officers are now carrying out patrols in hotspot areas of the county’s towns. In doing so, they have become aware of a few instances where people have masqueraded as taxi drivers but are, in fact, operating illegally.

Detective Inspector Liz Basham, who is leading the operation, said: “Ideally you should pre-book your taxi through a reputable company but if you do hail a taxi on the street or get in a cab at the taxi rank, always check there’s a taxi licence on display - take a look at it and make sure it looks professional. If there’s no licence, don’t take that taxi.

“Officers on Operation Kayak patrols are seeking to identify those displaying predatory or suspicious behaviour like loitering, leering, sexual harassment and inappropriate touching and when they see it, they will act quickly. This includes anybody purporting to be a licensed taxi driver.

“If you see someone acting suspiciously, please call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency or approach an officer. If you are out and feel unsafe you can also speak to the nearest pub or club staff member for assistance too.”

Travelling safely by taxi – further tips:

– Is the car in decent condition? Taxis are required to be mechanically healthy, so if it looks like it could fall apart, chances are it’s not licensed.

– Are they confident taking you to your location? Yes, they might not be 100% sure where your address is, especially if you live in a tiny road in the middle of nowhere, but they should be able to get you roughly there without directions. If they can’t, they may not be licensed, as taxi drivers are required to have knowledge of the local area.

– Has the driver skipped the queue to pick you up? That’s a sure sign they’re probably not licensed.

– If you’ve hailed the cab on the street, are they a Hackney carriage? If not, they’re not allowed to pick you up on the street, and you shouldn’t use them.

Operation Kayak is a joint effort with officers working alongside CCTV operators, Community Safety Partnerships, door staff, fast food outlets and others working in the night time economy.

Well this sort of thing can vary with mileage. Literally, in this case


Certainly not the case here. A lot of students and locals, for example, assume you *don't* know where their street is unless it's a very straightforward job, such as the big student halls or hotels. But even on the latter a lot of new drivers won't know that either.


A 'sure sign' they're not licensed?

Sometimes there's barely a proper queue here, and although some drivers are always looking for an opportunity to jump the queue, at the end of the day it's not the trade's fault...


So why would you hail a cab on the street if it isn't a HC?

Maybe problem is that the PHVs look a bit too much like HCs?

And, as is often the case, doesn't help that Northants Police here use the term 'taxi' generically to refer to both HCs and PHVs

I really don't get that.

If you are not licensed you aren't going to do naughties in front of a rank of licensed taxis.

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IDFIMH

I think they mean that they haven’t picked you up from a rank, more likely away from the rank so as not to be seen by other legitimate drivers.

I think you probably both have a point - there are numerous different scenarios that could be viewed as queue jumping. One likely scenario is the kind of unofficial ranks that spring up at nights, particularly near pubs and clubs.

But the Northants Police point kind of presupposes that there are plated cars and/or official ranks near to where the pick-up has taken place - how else could the scenario be considered as queue-jumping?