A POLICE crackdown on taxi-fare dodgers has swung into gear after cabbies complained of being attacked and abused.
The new zero-tolerance policy was launched in Coventry on Friday and police say they plan to routinely stop taxis in the city to ensure safety.
A greater emphasis will be placed on prosecuting fare-dodgers after Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association said they were being left vulnerable to drunken passengers.
Alias Yousef, chairman of Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association, said fare-dodging was a “massive problem” in Coventry.
He said: “Drivers get threatened, attacked and assaulted.”
Cabbies will be encouraged to immediately report fare-dodgers and any violence will be treated as a 999 emergency.
The association has threatened to take Coventry City Council to court after it ordered all black cabs in the city to remove their safety grilles.
Drivers staged a protest outside Coventry railway station in October to voice fears over the safety of drivers and are currently conducting an independent enquiry into the modifications.
Mr Yousuf added: “Coventry City Council have taken away the protection for the taxi driver with the metal grids.
This gives us some kind of extra protection. It’s a deterrent, really.”
Stickers are being put in all taxis in the city warning of the crackdown and the scheme will be rolled out across the rest of the West Midlands in the coming weeks.
Sergeant Nigel Pagdin, taxi liaison officer at Coventry’s Little Park Street station, said: “Making off without payment is an offence and will be taken more seriously from now on.
"Basically, it’s a case of ‘don’t even bother’.
"Taxi drivers have a hard enough job to do and we’ll do anything we can as a force to help make that easier.”
source:
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/
Login
Register
FAQ
