With TNS Global research commissioned by
Transport for London (TfL) showing that 43% of young women in Birmingham,
Manchester or London admitting that they would be likely to use the services of
illegal minicabs, personal injury solicitors Burnley are worried that people in the capital are
putting their safety at risk when they go home after a night out.
TfL has recently called for people to use
pre-booked minicabs or official black cabs when getting home with a taxi. When
minicab drivers line up outside clubs and pubs and take people on journeys
without the passenger pre-booking the cab, they are acting unlawfully and are
driving without proper insurance, no win no fee solicitors London warn.
The TfL poll also showed that 14% of the
women questioned make no plans for getting home after a night out, which puts
their personal safety at risk and increases their likelihood of making bad
choices such as using unlicensed and uninsured taxis.
While it is understandable that people
might be tempted to get into the first taxi that offers them a lift after they
have spent the night drinking, this can be a costly mistake. In 2003, Stephanie
Hamill flagged down what she thought was a genuine taxi with her fiancé in
Wakefield, but before he joined her, the taxi sped off. She worried about being
assaulted and abducted and tried to escape from the moving vehicle, but was hit
by another car. Ioannis Revenikiotis received an 11-year sentence for this
offence.
Earlier TfL research showed the following
issues have caused Londoners that have used unlicensed taxis to feel unsafe:
- They were forced to leave the cab before they had arrived at their destination
- They had to leave the cab and run
- They were taken to a back street or unfamiliar area
- They were given another price upon reaching their destination or were overcharged
- The driver's behaviour made them feel threatened or uncomfortable
- The driver drove in a dangerous manner, such as by breaking the speed limit or driving erratically
- The fare was disputed and the driver acted in an unreasonable fashion, such as by locking rhe doors
