Taxi Driver Online

15 years ago the then Transport Minister Steve Norris declared war on London cab touts, there is no prize for guessing who won that war.
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Evening Standard (London)

April 1, 1993, Thursday

MINISTER DECLARES WAR ON LONDON CAB TOUTS

TOUGH new laws to drive mini-cab touts off London's streets are being studied by Government ministers.

The move follows fears that the growing menace of touting threatens passenger safety, gives London a bad image with tourists and eats into the business of black cab drivers.

London Transport minister Steven Norris today promised to crack down on touting.


'It is a desperate practice which takes the legitimate cab drivers' business away - and I want to see it stopped,' he said.

The pledge follows a long campaign by black cab drivers against the taxi touts who hang around railway stations, West End night-spots and London's tourists attractions.

At present, just five enforcement officers in the capital are set to work against the estimated 3,000 mini-cab touts operating nightly.

Possible sanctions against the touts include a new system of hefty fines and stripping persistent offenders of their driving licence.

A team of officials at the Department of Transport has been told to find the best way of changing legislation on cabs - as framed by the Hackney Carriages Act of 1831 - to make touting illegal.

But they are running into problems finding the right form of words to 'Some cabbies think all I have to do is say it is illegal, but life isn't as simple as that,' said Mr Norris.

He feels that, while there is an argument whether ticket touting should be illegal or not, there is no doubt that mini-cab touting should be outlawed.

New laws against touting would most likely only be introduced along with proposals to license mini-cabs so that the past of cab-drivers can be checked for criminal records and safety offences.

Ilford MP Vivian Bendall, who speaks for black cab drivers, welcomed the development.

But he warned: 'My feeling is that the only way we are going to stop touting is to have a large band of enforcement officers and bring in parking wardens to help.

'You've got to give consideration to confiscation of the vehicle as they do already in some continental cities.

'And we should consider whether a person should lose his licence - permanently for a second offence.'

But there are difficulties in framing exactly what kind of evidence can be used against touts in order to stand up a successful prosecution.

Touting has steadily increased over the last few years, with black cab organisations fighting a losing battle against the problem.
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It wasn't Steven Norris.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

The New York Taxi and Limo Commission seem to have managed, why can't the London authorities?

What’s the deterrent over here?

Nowt

some thing has to be done quickly our council seem to be facilitating this we are trying everything to get someone to take action but were banging our heads against a brick wall .