Taxi Driver Online

Drunks targeted in festive crackdown
A crackdown on drunken violence is being launched in Preston city centre in time for the festive period.
Taxi stewards will return to the city following a successful trial last Christmas by Preston police.
From December 3 and for 20 weeks, four stewards will patrol outside Yates's on Church Street every Friday and Saturday night between 11pm and 3am.
The aim of the scheme, managed by the police, is to allow people to queue for taxis in a safer and more orderly manner, instead of spilling out on to Church Street and competing for the first available cab.
In the past, statistics indicate trouble flares when groups of young males congregate at taxi ranks or takeaways, becoming agitated and sometimes aggressive.
Existing barriers outside Yates's will form the start of the queue and portable barriers will be added at the weekend to increase the length to around 12 metres.
PC Alisa Rutter, community beat manager for the city centre, who is driving the scheme, said: "The stewards will be wearing high visibility jackets so they are instantly recognisable on the street.
"They will act as an extra pair of eyes and ears for the police and ensure that people leave the city centre quickly and safely. The initiative will also help taxi drivers feel more secure.
"Anyone too drunk to travel will be assessed by the stewards and the driver will be able to see just who is getting into their cab and how many passengers there are."
Similar taxi stewarding schemes across the country have been shown to reduce violent crime and make pub and club goers feel safer.
Anne-Marie Flynn, marketing manager for the Preston City Centre Management and co-ordinator of the PROUD partnership, said: "It has taken 12 months to secure the funding in order to get the scheme fully functioning throughout the city's busiest period. Thanks to the Community Safety Partnership, permanent barriers have been erected on Church Street and we can now provide trained security staff to marshal the initiative for 20 weeks."
e-mail: emma.broom@lep.co.uk
29 November 2004

regards

Captain Cab

So are they going to steward the ranks, or the drivers.

_________________
IDFIMH

hehe so youve heard of Preston down there have you


regards

Captain cab

Taxi marshalls are a waste of money, they just stand there with their green jackets on doing nothing, the other week in Mansfield we were without any and the job ran smoothly.

you dont suppose theres rank marshalls in mansfield to keep an eye on you do you nidge?

regards

Captain Cab

HA HA I know what you mean, on their first weekend they were putting customers in any cars that stopped even the boy racers, the 2nd weekend they didn't work because they hadn't been paid.

we had them for two weekends at the end of august,

apparently they came quite cheap, .....

from 12am to 3am fri and sat, thats 4 days or 12 hours

£9k.....

[edited by admin] the TOA would have done it for that!

regards

Captain Cab

We have had themn in B&H for a while.
And the best thing is that the police pay for them out of their money not mine.

I take it you dont pay your council tax

hehe

theyll shaft us either way, but either way, we pay

regards

Captain cab