The Crime Prevention Website

This year the Suzy Lamplugh Trust who sponsor National Personal Safety Day are giving you essential information on the use of taxis and minicabs in relation to your safety. Their theme this year is: 'Know Your Rides'

On their website they are telling us that ......

The majority of people could be at risk of using illegally operating or ‘fake’ vehicles because they have little knowledge of how taxis and private hire vehicles (minicabs) can legally operate. This is according to a YouGov poll commissioned by Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

The poll reveals that eight out of ten people (80%) say that they have little or no knowledge about what taxis and minicabs are legally allowed to do. Only 15% of people feel knowledgeable about how taxis and minicabs can legally operate.

Private hire vehicles, which are also known as minicabs, can only be pre-booked via the phone or an app, and cannot be hailed on the street.  In comparison, taxis can be pre-booked, hailed on the street and pick up customers at a taxi rank. Each type of vehicle should have a taxi or private hire vehicle licence plate clearly displayed.

Most worryingly, people do not know what minicabs are legally allowed to do when picking up passengers. Although all private hire vehicles must be pre-booked by law, one in five people (21%) think that minicabs can be hailed on the street, and a quarter of people (26%) believe minicabs can take passengers who approach them while parked.

Read the rest of their findings and more advice on this page on the Suzy Lamplugh website

I am absolutely delighted that Suzy Lamplugh has chosen taxis and minicabs for this year’s theme as illegally operating and fake vehicles are a real and present danger to the people who use them.

There’s a handy poster on their website which is worth printing off and putting up on a wall at home or in the office and do please bring this important information to the attention of all your family, friends and work colleagues.  I’ve just printed one off and put it in my wife’s beauty salon.

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