Taxi Driver Online

Sex attacks in minicabs cut by crackdown on illegal drivers

Transport bosses today hailed a dramatic drop in the number of sex attacks in London minicabs as the capital's war on illegal taxi touting intensified.

Figures show there were 111 cab-related sexual offences between April 2010 and March, a 20 per cent drop on the previous year's total of 140.
In the same period 1,300 arrests were made by members of the Safer Travel at Night team, who are aiming to stamp out illegal taxi touting in the capital.

Drivers, many not even registered as taxis, who offer to pick up passengers illegally have been identified as a major safety issue for London revellers. Only black cabs can legally operate on the street without a booking.

Unbooked "minicabs" are neither regulated nor insured to carry passengers and, in some cases, drivers are linked to crimes such as rape, sexual assault, robbery and drug offences.

Last September illegal cab driver Aston Murray, 49, of Edmonton, was jailed for eight years for raping a 22-year-old student. He was arrested six years after the attack when police stopped him for taxi touting and his DNA matched rape evidence.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "The people who live in and visit this great city need to know that it is safe to get around. It is in this context that we must confront the Russian roulette that is presented by illegal minicabs.

"Taxi touts are a menace to Londoners and tourists and the number of arrests made clearly vindicates our decision to double the size of TfL's excellent cab enforcement team."

Early on Saturday morning two taxi drivers spotted illegally touting for business near the Gem Bar on Beak Street in the West End were arrested. They had to hand over their cars before being taken in for questioning.

Their arrests were among 39 made during a three-day operation by transport bosses and police, with the second night's action being watched by the Standard. Each car taken is lined up on a Marylebone street and emblazoned with stickers saying "driver arrested on suspicion of touting".

TfL licensed private-hire drivers convicted of touting will lose their private- hire licence for at least a year. Officers used undercover tactics and conducted roadside vehicle and licence compliance checks on all "minicabs" within the operation area.

Steve Burton of TfL, said: "These results reflect the hard work to tackle touting, cab-related sexual offences and other illegal cab activity in the capital."

_________________
IDFIMH

So they are neither licensed taxi drivers, nor are they licensed private hire drivers?

So why tar those that are?

_________________
IDFIMH

Because the majority of those that tout are licensed Minicab drivers driving licensed Minicabs.

Trust me on this one, I see it week in, week out with my own eyes.

From The Anderson shelter taxi blogspot:


The Beginning of the END. ..BY Travis B.


Following A Press Release trumpeting to the world the decrease of 20% from 143 to 111 (TfL's maths not mine!).

Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing at TfL, said: 'These results reflect the hard work by officers from both the police and TfL to tackle touting, cab-related sexual offences and other illegal cab activity in the Capital.

Let us dear reader look a little closer at these results

We all thought Peter Hendy did not recognise the 143 Figure, yet today he does as it enables TfL to show a large decrease. When was he telling the truth, Today or some weeks ago on LBC? BOTH CANNOT BE TRUE Peter!
No mention of convictions and that's what counts of course. 1300 Arrests sounds much better, Convictions from figures available as follows: 2008: 6 (Six!) 2009 (Three!) can TfL tell us what percentage of the 1300 led to a conviction? Do they dare?

True it is a decrease on 2009's appalling Figures but as anyone with a half decent understanding of statistics will tell you its trends you need to identify. so attacks in 2008 were 98, 2009 143, 2010 111 so TfL are to be congratulated on what exactly?
Average attacks per year is 117 so doubling the enforcement team has reduced attacks by 6 (six).
No doubt since the non UTG groups have ensured all this has got a high profile by demos at Oxford Circus, leaflets at Windsor House, GLA members being e mailed etc. has at least got TfL beginning to take our concerns seriously at last.

LET NO ONE ELSE TAKE THE CREDIT IT IS YOUR PRESSURE THAT HAS HAD THE DESIRED EFFECT AND WE MUST KEEP IT UP. Wednesdays demo. etc. must go ahead as well as the UCG News & press campaigns.

Plenty of spin no doubt at upcoming meetings by LTPH all glad handing each other etc, Be not fooled

Once again TfL use the words Cab when they mean minicab, WHY?
We also need to know how many licensed PHV's were caught so Mr Steve Wright of the Private Hire Association can go back to parliament to update the transport committee.

So let the message to TFL be this, to paraphrase Winston Churchill:


'This is not the end or even the beginning of the end, it is perhaps the end of the beginning'.

SPOT ON WINNIE our campaign marches on!