Taxi Driver Online

Taxi Marshals on the increase.

Two more areas which are introducing Taxi marshals. The practice is now becoming increasingly more popular but who will eventually pay for these marshals?


Police in east Devon hope to make a town taxi rank safer by using marshals to cut anti-social behaviour. Devon and Cornwall Police have secured funding for two marshals in Exmouth to ensure people wait in orderly queues for taxis and help prevent any trouble. The scheme, starting on 1 July, will run on Friday and Saturday nights for two months at the rank in The Strand. The marshals will also have radio links with pubs, clubs and police to warn of potential problems. Summer problems Sgt Dave Sheldrake of Devon and Cornwall Police, who is co-ordinating the scheme, said: "There have been problems at the taxi rank with people fighting when they are drunk or trying to push into queues. "The problem is at its worst during the summer." There were 34 incidents of assaults and disorder near the taxi rank in July and August last year, which accounted for a third of the annual total of such incidents in that part of the town. Sgt Sheldrake said: "The provision of taxi marshals will further increase the feeling of safety. It is hoped these measures will help reduce violent crime and disorder in Exmouth." The scheme is being funded by the local Community Safety Partnership, which is made up of police and other agencies. Officers also hope the scheme will be repeated on New Year's Eve in the town and it could eventually become permanent at weekends.
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Security marshals may be employed to tackle trouble in taxi queues. The move comes as police continue their summer campaign to tackle violence and disorder brought about by drinking too much alcohol. Taxi ranks can be a flashpoint for violence especially at night with queue jumping one of the main problems. The idea now is to have taxi marshals to control crowds, stop people from jumping the queue and diffuse trouble at busy ranks in Newcastle city centre. The move by the Safe Newcastle Partnership, which includes the city council and the police, is part of plans to combat violent crime. Just last week Northumbria Police released shocking pictures of drunkenness and violence as part of the forcewide "The Party's Over" campaign which has already seen a big rise in the number of arrests for anti-social behaviour. Taxi drivers frequently have to bear the brunt of party goers' bad behaviour following a night of heavy drinking. So the idea of martials keeping taxi queues under control has been welcomed by organisations representing the cabbies. The scheme is also expected to be based on successful experiments in other big cities around the UK including Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. The Newcastle partnership is considering introducing its scheme on Tyneside over the next three years.
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The cynic in me says the taxi/PH trade will kop the bill.

But I think the new licensing rules could allow councils to put conditions on applications for new liquor licenses, meaning they foot the bill.

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IDFIMH

It sounds reasonable looking at it from this angle but I doubt liqour licence holders will be too pleased. Perhaps there is room for litigation there somewhere.

Regards

JD

in Brighton the police themselves are paying for marshals.
they are the police support officers but if they get busy the police can pull then off.
but when they are there things go well.