Taxi Driver Online

I'm sure the Oxford HCDs will be cock-a-hoop at the newspaper using a photo of HCs at the station to illustrate the piece


Royal Cars, based in Cowley, Oxford, speaks out on 'rape' rumours

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17740 ... e-rumours/


Image: Oxford Mail

A MAJOR Oxford taxi company has reassured customers that wild rumours alleging one of its drivers raped female passengers are unfounded.

The claims against an unnamed Royal Cars driver were circulated on a Facebook page for students at Oxford University's St Anne's College last week.

A post, which appears to have been subsequently deleted, said there had been 'multiple allegations' of an individual driving women to 'isolated areas to rape them'.

St Anne's briefly stopped using Royal Cars while police investigated, but it is understood neither Oxford City Council nor the police have received any formal allegations.

The taxi company's human resources manager, Abdullah Banaras, said 'two or three' concerned colleges had contacted Royal Cars, but the firm had received no official complaints.

He said: "The colleges have been in contact quite a lot and said there's some hearsay going around.

"We've obviously spoken to police and the council and they said nothing has been reported."

He added: "No colleges have turned around and said they wouldn't use us.

"We work closely with many colleges and safety is our main priority."

The taxi company's website states that all its drivers are DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service - formerly CRB) checked, with Mr Banaras revealing that checks are often repeated for added security.

Royal Cars, based in Cowley, claims to be Oxford's 'largest private hire service provider' and has a fleet of more than 400 vehicles.

Its website also states that all drivers undergo a 'medical examination' before being licensed by Oxfordshire's district councils.

The allegations are believed to have been posted on a Facebook page for St. Anne's College Middle Common Room, which is the college's community of postgraduate students.

The post appeared early last week, but was deleted by Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, one Twitter user posted a similar claim, but the official Royal Cars account replied saying it 'had been in close contact with the local police, colleges, universities and [the] council, there seems to be no truth in these rumours'.


Image: Oxford Mail

Mr Banaras said the company took such claims seriously and that he '100 per cent condemned' the alleged actions and called them 'wrong on every level'.

He added that any driver accused of such behaviour would be 'dismissed instantly', but admitted it was difficult to follow up the allegations.

The human resources manager said: "It's difficult to grasp on our side because there's no name behind this.

"If someone gave us some details to refer to we would always deal with it properly in house."

The Facebook post added that Oxford University Students' Union (OUSU) 'recommends not using' Royal Cars, but it is understood OUSU was unaware of the allegations until they appeared on social media.

The students' union declined to comment on the issue.

A St Anne's spokesperson explained that Oxford University Security Services alerted Thames Valley Police to the allegations, but was told there was 'no truth in the matter'. The force said it could not comment further.

The college confirmed the restriction on Royal Cars had been lifted after less than 24 hours and no taxis were ordered from the college in that time.

A college spokesperson said: "St Anne’s College has not seen the original Facebook post and it was not shared on any of the college’s official social media accounts. We have no information that would support claims made in the social media post.

"After a brief suspension of usual arrangements while information was sought, there has been no impact on college utilisation of any taxi service in Oxford."

"We work closely with the university’s security services to provide advice to students about sensible measures they can take to maximise their personal safety.

"This includes general advice about only getting into vehicles that are confirmed to be pre-booked registered taxis."

Oxford City Council, as the licensing authority, confirmed it had not received a complaint in relation to any Royal Cars drivers.

The city council's website states: "We take all complaints made about the level of service provided by drivers, condition of licensed vehicles, and the customer service provided by operators very seriously."

The council advises that if a service 'does not meet your expectations', passengers must note the driver's badge number and the vehicle licence plate or vehicle registration number.

Complainants are also urged to note the time, date and location of the incident and remember any 'distinguishing features' about the vehicle.


Image: Oxford Mail

For what it's worth, you should be able to read the Twitter allegation via this link.

Seems to call herself a communist, and has a double-barrelled name Trans rights activist and radical feminist by the looks of things

https://twitter.com/commie_caro/status/ ... 4644246528



Although according to the Royal Car's website they're using HC and PH drivers from several different authorities, so Oxford City Council might not be the directly relevant licensing authority. Of course, any complaint from a member of the public would probably be made to Oxford City Council, though.

I think suing for libel might be on the cards but sounds like one of those mummy and daddy's little angels that grow up thinking they can do anything without consequence !

Spoilt brats generally can only learn lessons the hard way and I bet this is someone who is aggrieved over a journey where they thought they had been wronged and is trying to take revenge the wrong way

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

It's somewhat symptomatic of the type of human material that our colleges and Unversities are now propagating these days, they seem to put Lefty Liberal radical thinking before actual academic teachings or ability these day and all in the name of Diversity and Political correctness...the future for tomorrows world does not bode well when this generation of egotistical students start mixing it with the real world.

Especially with the 18 year old cab at the back.

I've had 7 cars in that time.

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IDFIMH

This probably merits a new thread, but couldn't help remembering the bad publicity above, and wondered if there was a connection?

After all, a firm of some size with compulsory CCTV must still be pretty rare, unless it's mandated by the council?


Oxford's Royal Cars will put CCTV in all of its cabs

https://www.bicesteradvertiser.net/news ... cctv-cabs/

A SAFETY conscious taxi firm has set out on a mission to be the first with CCTV in all of its cars.

Those hopping into Royal Cars will be filmed as soon as the ignition starts, in a bid to make it the 'safest taxi company in Oxfordshire'.

Nick Breakspear, the business development manager at Royal Cars, said: "So long as the car is on, the CCTV will be on too.

"It will be put on the windscreen in the middle – like a dash-cam footage but looking in and out of the car.

"The camera will be switched on all the time and passengers can't opt-out. Footage will be kept for a month, and it will detect the driver and passengers as well.

"It's difficult to say what the camera will be looking at, but it's pointing straight."

He said the cameras are 'top of the range' and explained some of their features: "They will have full HD and custom sensors to see the driver and what they are doing.

"They have an eye motion detector to see if the drivers are looking at the road or if they are looking at their phones or anything.

"All of this information will get reported to us straight away.

"But the footage will only be accessible to us, the police and the city council and we won't access it unless we have to.

"We are not going to be looking at the footage but we have done it so we can be the safest taxi company in Oxfordshire.

"There will be that peace of mind for people that if anything happens, then there will be a record of it."

He explained that the cameras will not pick up any audio, in line with privacy laws.

The private hire cabs are installing the high-tech cameras into 75 of their own cars.

It will then be rolled out to all of the drivers with their own motors.

As an incentive, drivers with cameras will be put on the 'upper cars' list which means they will be offered more high-end work from top account holders and pick-ups from hotels first.

In 2011 Oxford City Council announced it was hoping to make audio-visual recording compulsory in the 681 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles by 2015.

At the time it was supported by drivers and the City of Oxford Taxi Cab Association (COLTA) but was also met with a barrage of criticism including from privacy campaigners.

The plans were then shelved in 2013 when the council licensing bosses admitted it would intrude on privacy.

Colin Cook, who is the head of licensing at the council said 'there has never been a problem' with cabs having CCTV as long we they are compliant with data protection regulations.

The secretary of COLTA welcomed the plans for Royal Cars, but admitted it wouldn't push its own black cabbies.

Sajad Khan said: "CCTV is a good thing to have in cars, no doubt. It’s not just passengers’ safety, but the drivers safety too. We had discussions about CCTV too, but it's not a mandatory requirement. It would work if the driver had control and could turn it on and off."

Convenient that this means their own cars get more of the high-end work

And this seems to mean that it won't actually be compulsory.

Wait, the article actually says that Royal Cars has simply "set out on a mission" to fit all cars with CCTV, so article headline actually a bit misleading


Great idea

Not convinced that is legal, especially in the vehicles they don't own.

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IDFIMH