MR T wrote:
I have been in the trade over 30 years.... and rapes like this have happened here... But by working with the police and council our approach was to educate the general public that they must not get into unlicensed vehicles.... whether they are private hire or hackney... all hackney in Sefton and Liverpool are fitted with what is called a rape light in the back of the vehicle... it is a box with the vehicles licence number clearly printed in large letters on it that is permanently illuminated, the trade should work to protect its customers... and not simply use their misfortune as an argument... I have no more to say on this.
You're missing the point Mr T.
You see the onus here is that the victim couldn't get a taxi. And she couldn't get a taxi because of the council's artificial shortage to prop up the vested interests.
But it didn't need to be an unlicensed vehicle. She could have got a lift from someone on the periphery of her circle for the evening.
The fact is that it is her inability to get a cab that she lets her guard doen and she accepts a lift she otherwise wouldn't.
And it is that dubious lift that is the consequence of the council's restriction.
The restriction causes the shortage and forces people to do things they otherwise wouldn't. That puts then at risk.
This is what is recognised in the Best practice Guide. Which it warns against. Forcing people to get in to any vehicle that is unlicensed.
Unless and until the council has done everything it can to protect public safety it can't claim to be be protecting public safety.
By restricting taxis the council isn't doing everything it could. It is being negligent.