Taxi Driver Online

Smash-and-grab thieves hit taxis


THIEVES are targeting taxi drivers' cash boxes in Cambridge - often as they help elderly and disabled customers to their cabs.

The city's largest taxi firms, Panther and A1, reported more than 60 break-ins to their vehicles last month, with thieves pinching cash and expensive sat-navs in the lightning-quick smash-and-grab raids.

Bill Stewart, operations manager at A1 Taxis, whose company suffered 20 thefts during December, said: "We've had drivers helping people in wheelchairs out of their homes - only to find their cash boxes have been stolen. It's pretty low.

"We had two in Histon Road just last week. It's normally worst in December as people steal stuff to buy Christmas presents, but it was particularly bad this year.

"People complain about taxis ringing back, rather than knocking on doors, but if you leave your car for 10 seconds, someone will steal your cash.

"It's a terrible situation and no-one has ever been caught."

Paul Clare, operations manager at Panther Taxis, which was hit by about 40 vehicle break-ins in December, said: "It's been happening in all sorts of different places, so it looks like there was more than one gang in action.

"We've put out a message to all our drivers not to leave anything valuable or something that might look valuable in their cars. It only takes a minute and has happened when drivers get out to ring people's doorbells.

"It's not just the money they take as often they'll break a window and find nothing worth stealing. That means a driver will have to take a morning or afternoon off as they wait for someone to replace their window."

Self-employed taxi driver Stewart Barker, 47, is the latest to be hit after an empty cash box was stolen from his cab while it was parked close to his home near Newmarket Road at midnight on Friday.

He said: "Replacing the window cost £60 but the break-in cost me about £165 in total as I couldn't work with a broken window.

"Taxis are being targeted as people know there will be cash and valuables in the car. Sometimes we'll stop off at a shop or need to go to the toilet and it's not that easy to take all your cash with you."

Detective Inspector Billy Bremner, from Parkside CID, said: "We are aware of these thefts and they are being investigated. We are working hard on crime prevention and raising awareness among taxi drivers on this issue.

"We are encouraging them not to leave cash in vehicles and will be delivering flyers on this subject, as well as distributing stickers saying that 'no cash is kept in this vehicle overnight'."

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