Think Before You Pile In
Thursday 8th December 2011
Think before you all pile in ...
Swale Borough Council's Hackney Carriage Inspector, Ian Mackenzie, is reminding all residents and visitors to the borough that unlicensed taxis offer no protection at all to those who use them and that minicabs who ply for hire are also operating illegally.
This is really important because If you are involved in an accident and the vehicle and driver are not licensed, you might not be insured.
By law, all taxis and private hire vehicles that carry up to eight passengers must be licensed by the council, and all drivers of taxis must be licensed too. This process involves a criminal record check and only licensed taxis can ‘ply for hire’ at ranks or be hailed in the street. Private hire vehicles need to be booked in advance.
The Office of Fair Trading reported that 1.8 million people used an illegal taxi in 2003 and although authorities believe that the number of people using illegal cabs has dropped since then thanks to the media’s coverage of the issues involved, they do still pose a threat to unsuspecting people. Private Hire Monthly reported recently that there were 7,000 prosecutions of illegal traders in the last three years in London.
Ian Mackenzie has therefore issued four tips for people to remember when looking to get around Swale this Christmas time.
- Swale’s taxis should all be white with a green stripe, and the hackney plate on the back of the vehicle is white. The name of the company should also be on the doors.
- Private hire vehicles should be any colour other than white and should all have a yellow plate on the back.
- All drivers should be wearing an identification badge at all times.
- Beware of stretch limos that are not licensed and whose drivers have not been police checked.
Ian said "Swale Borough Council takes the safety of our residents really seriously. We monitor all Hackney Carriage operators in Swale closely and want everyone who hails a taxi to remember these four simple pieces of advice if they can. If people do remember this when they are out and about in Swale having a good time, then they will be safe."
