Safer Travel At Night (STAN) ?

It is clear from the horrific news this week that sexual assaults within the unlicensed mini-cab trade is on the increase and it is clear that the Safer Travel At Night (STAN) message is not getting through to women under the influence of abnormal levels of alcohol.

Public Safety is paramount and the London taxi-cab is the bench mark and the beacon of safety for people travelling within the metropolis on a 24/7 basis. However a number of issues have conspired and these issues are putting people especially younger women at risk, we shall list some of the issues that need/require urgent attention;

• The increased pedestrianisation which impedes the flow of traffic and chokes the supply of taxi-cabs with zone 1 and suburban town centres needs to be removed or we need to remove other non essential traffic from these areas.
• Lack of taxi-cab ranks/stands outside bars/venues.
• Incentives for taxi-cab drivers to work later/unsocial/abnormal hours on Friday/Saturday nights.
• Better Policing by the Metropolitan and City of London Police Services.
• We need many more Taxi stops similar to the one that exists on South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall.
• The closure of all Satellite mini-cab offices which have merely become a "touts" charter that flout the very rules that define London's taxi-cabs.
• Increased resources for TFL/Police which could easily be funded by increasing licence fees for PHV operators (remember it is their trade that is causing the problem).

It is clear that TFL/TPH are failing to deliver for the London taxi trade and it is clear that combining Taxis and Private hire creates more problems than this directorate is capable or able to solve. A major overhaul is required at all levels of this directorate with a view to splitting Taxis and Private hire and clearing defining the role of each trade so no confusion remains within the mini-cab trade.

Remember if you want a voice and a vote join the RMT online at http://www.rmt.org.uk/