Rogue taxi drivers preying on women

03 July 2009

ROGUE taxi drivers are roaming the streets of Weston and preying on vulnerable young women.

The Mercury has spoken to legitimate cabbies this week who are concerned that females are putting themselves at risk by hopping into unlicensed vehicles after a night out.

They say the young clubbers are hailing the first taxi they see after an evening on the tiles, without considering who is behind the wheel.

Reports even suggest that one woman picked up by a fake taxi in Weston last month was driven to a secluded spot and subjected to a serious sexual assault.

Rob Rowe, who has owned Apple Central Taxis in The Centre for 20 years, is so concerned about the safety of female clubbers that he is offering to stump up the cash for personal attack alarms to be given out free.

The businessman, who employs 120 full-time, registered drivers, says his workers see young women getting into vehicles where someone 'dodgy' could be behind the wheel.

One of his drivers, Chris Murtagh turned up to pick two young women up in George Street, Weston, recently and was told a strange, unmarked car had already tried to entice them inside by claiming to be their taxi.

The 52-year-old Apple Central driver gave chase to try to catch the rogue cabbie, but lost him and reported the incident to the police.

Boss Rob says it is something his drivers see regularly and he is worried about the danger young women are putting themselves in.

He says that after a night out females flag down the first car they see and do not always check the driver is genuine.

The 52-year-old, who lives in Worlebury, said: "My main concern is for the personal safety of young women going out into town.

"We just want them to get home safe and know what to look for before they get into taxis that aren't genuine.

"There is no reason for them to put themselves at risk.

"It is safer for them to call a reputable firm or driver and it is for safety reasons we operate our call-back service where young women do not have to wait out in the street for their taxis.

"A lot of my drivers have been working for this company for many years and it is our primary concern to see that young women remain safe on a night out.

"You can't do this job without caring about the people you pick up.

"So when you see reports of young girls getting attacked, you want to help prevent that."

North Somerset Council licences taxis that can pick people up from the street if they are hailed and private hire vehicles. But drivers must display their ID, including a photo, as well as plate at the front or rear of the outside of the taxi with their details on. Drivers should also wear and ID badge at all times.

Avon and Somerset Police community safety inspector Barbara Davidson said: "We always carry out high-visibility patrols over the weekend to ensure the safety of those out late at night.

"We haven't had a lot of reports of unlicensed taxis operating in Weston, but we would always advise that pub-goers book taxis in advance or use designated taxi stops.