Safer Travel at Night...

Within many parts of the taxi trade but especially the online quarter much debate is had about the failure of the "safer travel at night" initiative that attempts to educate the public and ensure people like you and me get home safely at night.

If this initiative had actually respected the London taxi-cab driver and actually "obeyed" the law with regards to "ranking" and "plying for hire" Transport for London" and the "Metropolitan Police" might not find themselves staring at a set of statistics that paint a very grime picture of sexual related assaults relating to touts/mini-cabs/phv's and on the very rare occasion a London taxi-cab.

The statistics released by Transport for London back in September 2010 make grim reading for they clearly show a rise in sexual assaults/rapes, here follow the numbers for 2008/2009;

• 2008 = 93
• 2009 = 143

A rise of over 50% at a time of increased activity by the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London. The figures also hide another nasty tale and that is their is no breakdown into particular categories and in our opinion this besmirches the good name of you the London taxi-cab driver. So let us assure you we are working extremely hard and we shall be seeking additional figures and pursuing with whatever quango/agency/body/authority answers to many questions until the figures released by the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London are clear and transparent.

Let's be totally honest the Metropolitan Police must hold an actual breakdown of these figures, if they don't it would mean they are unable to distinguish between a car/mini-cab and taxi-cab and that would not be good or competent policing.

If you wish to join the RMT and its London taxi branch please do so at http://www.rmt.org.uk/ or contact the branch via mobile/text/email.