Taxi Driver Online

Town's cabbies call on police after increase in violence towards them


Barnsley taxi drivers are meeting with police to find ways of tackling increasing violence against cabbies.

Mark Cox, chairman of Barnsley Hackney Carriage Association, said the group was due to meet police next week to discuss solutions to the escalating problems, which have included a stabbing and assaults.

He said: "We have some ideas to put forward which will hopefully help regarding assaults on drivers. These kinds of incidents used to be very rare but lately it's happening more, especially on taxi ranks."

Pete Tingey, owner of private hire firm Blue Line, said that in the past year one of his drivers was stabbed while taking a £10 fare to Darfield. Another was threatened when an assault involving a husband and wife took place in the back of a cab in Silkstone.

The Silkstone incident ended with the cab having to be written off after damage estimated at £3,500 was caused by the drunken husband repeatedly kicking the car. The taxi driver narrowly escaped injury.

Mr Tingey said: "It's getting rough in Barnsley. I blame cheap alcohol and the loss of the 11pm closing time for pubs and the 2am closing time for nightclubs. You should see Barnsley town centre on a Sunday morning - it looks like a war zone."

He said of the Darfield incident: "It started when the passenger said he was going into his house to get cash but didn't come back." He said the driver was attacked when he went to recover his money.

Both the Darfield and Silkstone addresses have been "barred" by Blue Line, meaning the firm will not pick up fares there.

This week, a 64-year-old woman from Kexborough rang the Chronicle to say Blue Line had barred her address.

Mr Tingey, whose company does 1.2 million taxi runs a year in Barnsley, pointed out that violent individuals could live at an address while innocent parties lived in the same house.

He said: "We bar addresses, not necessarily individuals, but those who are violent towards my drivers, vehicles and customers will be barred. I won't put my drivers in danger."

He added: "I feel sorry for the police, given what they have to deal with."

DI Gary Askew from Barnsley CID told the Chronicle he would speak to Mr Tingey about violence against cabbies.

He said: "I know we dealt with the Darfield incident but we need to know about any others. We want to prevent these kinds of incidents in Barnsley."

http://www.barnsley-chronicle.co.uk/new ... wards-them

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

Mr Tingey, whose company does 1.2 million taxi runs a year in Barnsley.

Barnsley's a Shiite hole.

Along with Doncaster, Rotherscum and Sheffield.

They have always liked fisticuffs in Barnsley!.A million jobs a year??,Somebody has been drinking!.

The answer to stop runners and all the subsequent problems is to ask for money up front. Pay & Go Taxis manufacture a product that is designed to take away the confrontation that could be caused by asking for advance payment. By installing the Pay & Go Deposit unit you are not physically sticking out your hand for money and implying that you don't trust the passenger. The fare is estimated and the passenger is asked to put a deposit into the unit, its like getting on a bus or a train and "paying for your journey" before you travel. The unit clearly displays how much has been paid in and signage on the taxi tells passengers IN ADVANCE that you use the Pay and Go system so if they have no money then they can't use your cab! No stress! and your takings locked away in a safe deposit box. For a small deposit the unit can be yours for £1 per day that's daily peace of mind for the cost of one tip.
http://www.pay-and-go-taxis.co.uk/ - the "fare" way to travel!

pay and go sounds interesting but,the fear would be that it would give a focal point to robbers and thieves to get into it.