Taxi Driver Online

Nottingham Evening Post

June 26, 2006 Monday

LENGTH: 926 words

HEADLINE: Taxi to vice street

The city kerb-crawling task force has cut the number of street prostitutes by 60% in the last two years. But in recent months they have found an increasing number of taxi drivers bringing customers into the red light district. JAMES SMITH reports

If you want to provide great customer satisfaction, it pays to go the extra mile.

But a number of Nottingham's taxi drivers have been going a little too far.

Increasing numbers are being arrested in connection with kerb-crawling - not necessarily for their own purposes, but for their passengers.

Eight have been caught for kerb-crawling or causing a public nuisance (for dropping off men looking for sex) so far this year, compared to just six in 2005.

Five of those were in the past month alone and the figures include both Hackney cabs and private hire vehicles.

Some drivers have been willing to go to extraordinary steps to ensure a good tip.

According to Notts police's kerb-crawling task force, one driver picked up a man so drunk that when they arrived in the city's red light area, he was unable to stand up.

Not to be foiled, the driver parked up, went to find a woman and took both passengers to a hotel.

In another case, the driver waited in his car while the passenger and girl disappeared into the bushes.

When they were finished he took the passenger back home.

Sergeant Neil Radford says their actions will not be tolerated and have resulted in their badges being suspended by the city council.

Some have been through the courts and been given fines (usually around £50) with others opting to receive a caution, pay £200 and attend a one-day rehabilitation course. They are among 450 men arrested by the task force since its inception in June 2004 - almost 20 a month.

Sgt Radford believes the problem could be related to Nottingham's popularity as a nighttime destination, attracting large groups of men, often on stag weekends.

"On Friday and Saturday night we get large groups of lads in town, they have a lot to drink and then some want to finish by having sex with a prostitute," he said.

"It happens week after week. Often they're complete strangers to the city so they go to a taxi rank and tell them what they want.

"The driver brings them to the area and cruises around for a while - sometimes they'll actually do the soliciting for them. It's bang out of order."

Every time a driver is dealt with, the police refer them to the city council's taxi licensing team.

Licensing officer Jim Mortell has been suspending their licences for four to eight weeks.

The loss of wages is a far bigger financial penalty than those handed out by the courts.

Mr Mortell said: "We strongly disapprove of this type of behaviour and a suspension focuses their attention because they don't have any money.

"If they are referred to us a second time - which has yet to happen - we would consider revoking their licence.

"It's just unacceptable and not what we expect from our drivers."

Mark Cartledge, chairman of the Association of Nottinghamshire Private Hire Operators, said he was dismayed by the drivers' actions and called for the city council to revoke their licences.

"That's very reasonable of Mr Mortell to give them a second chance, but if a driver is that stupid they deserve to lose their licence.

"It is unacceptable and brings the rest of the taxi trade into disrepute."

There are notices on the walls of taxi offices warning drivers not to get involved in taking men to find prostitutes, according to Mr Cartledge.

"We have enough hassles with the police and the city council without drivers getting involved in this lunacy," he said.

"We are trying to do a professional job, but the image that this gives off is poor."

An Arboretum mum, who did not want to be named, said: "There are plenty of other passengers they could pick up, especially at the weekend. The drivers should lose their licence straight away."

Task force has made an impact

Notts Police launched its kerb-crawling task force on June 1, 2004.

Since then, 450 men have been arrested in the city's "vice" area - Forest Road, Mapperley Road and the surrounding area.

Most have been cautioned or charged, with almost half opting to attend a one-day rehabilitation course called Change. This is for men with no previous convictions for kerb-crawling or violence against women.

They pay £200 to attend, with the profit from the course - around £80 per person - going back to the task force.

So far, 192 men arrested by the task force have been on the course with none re-offending, while another 30 are booked to go on later courses.

Of the money obtained from their "fines", £9,000 has been given back into the community affected by the kerb-crawlers, including £6,000 to Elms, St Augustine and Unity Primary Schools.

Within a year, the number of street prostitutes known to be working in Nottingham had dropped from 260 to 110.

It has remained around that level since.

Sgt Radford said: "The problem we have is that we still encounter three or four new ones every month which is the rate that we are getting them off the streets.

"However, we haven't seen any children under 18 working on the streets in the past 15 months, whereas there used to be 20 a year between 1997 and 2002.

"That's my hope for the long term - that there isn't a new generation coming through."

There are currently 21 girls with Asbos relating to prostitution banning them from the vice area.

"The courts are a lot, lot better," said Sgt Radford. "One girl was given ten months for repeated breaches which is enough time for us to get her onto a course of medication and hopefully off the drugs."
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