Taxi Driver Online

Students on rogue cabbie alert



TOWN hall chiefs have printed 30,000 credit card-sized leaflets warning students and visitors to Manchester of the dangers of bogus cabbies.

They will be handed out at bars, hotels and tourist information points across the city.

The leaflets contain safety advice on which minicabs and black taxis to use and warnings over getting into private hire cars that have not been pre-booked.

There is also information on making sure passengers are paying the right fare, where to find taxi ranks and phone numbers for more than 50 firms across the city.

It also provides details on other forms of transport, such as night buses and advice on drinking responsibly.

The pamphlets will be included in police safety information packs being given to new students who are now arriving in the city.

They were produced after an independent survey found more publicity about taxi services was needed.

Council spokesman Richard Cowell said: "These easy-to-use guides contain everything you need to know about getting home safely after a night out, and they'll be very useful for anyone living and working in the city, including the thousands of students who are now arriving here in Manchester.

"The leaflet's small enough to put in a purse, wallet or handbag, and I hope people will feel safer when they're on a night out, knowing they've got this information at their fingertips."

Bogus taxi drivers have plagued the city's streets for a number of years.

The M.E.N. mounted a campaign to combat the issue after a series of attacks on women, including the murder of Salford University medical student Rachel Thacker in 1996.

As a result, logos were introduced for private hire cars to make them easier to identify.

In 2001 we drew attention to the threat posed by the rogue drivers when we carried out an investigation into the practice.

Our undercover reporters exposed drivers working unlicensed and unregistered on a busy Saturday night.

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