Taxi Driver Online

Black cab drivers have hired security guards to prevent illegal minicabs taking their business.

They are recruiting “taxi marshals” to stand at their ranks and escort passengers to licensed cabs as they come out of bars and nightclubs.

Customers can also wait with the trained guards, who wear fluorescent jackets bearing the word “security”, if there is no taxi immediately available.

The initiative by London Cab Drivers Club — which represents about 1,500 taxi drivers across the capital — operates on Thursday and Friday nights outside West End nightclubs Nobu and Tiger Tiger.

But LCDC said it wants to roll out the scheme at 12 “touting hotspots” across the capital — with Abacus and Smiths in the City and Walkabout on the Embankment likely to be next.

The scheme is being funded by LCDC, but its chairman Grant Davis said the scheme has been so popular with drivers that he has received cheques from them.

The organisation is looking for sponsorship from drinks companies and clubs to help fund the scheme.

Mr Davis said the war between illegal minicab and black-cab drivers had increased to the point that the measures were needed to protect drivers and customers from touts.

He said: “Cab drivers have been facing real abuse and intimidation with the recession as illegal minicabs become more desperate for business. As soon as people get out of clubs they get pounced on by touts.

“The poor black-cab driver has to sit there at the rank while the customer walks away through the jungle of touts. There is a war on the street — that's why I've acquired security.”

He said the response from customers and drivers since the scheme started last week had been “fantastic”.

The taxi rank at Nobu was introduced last year after a demonstration by cab drivers. About 8,000 black-cab drivers stopped their cars and blocked the streets of Westminster in protest at the West1 minicab scheme which they said was taking their business.

Since the TfL-funded Cab Enforcement Unit was set up in 2003, the Met has made 5,500 arrests in relation to illegal minicabs.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/

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

It's an idea, but I think the level of the perceived problem is being exaggerated.

There are some in the LT industry that seem to go looking for confrontation to make themselves look important, and at the same time, seemingly jazzing up their otherwise boring life’s.

I just pick up customers, and have done for years with very little trouble, I don't see the need for any heavies to guard 2 ranks for 3 hours a week.

If they are escorting, they are touting.

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IDFIMH