Advice to help Wokingham taxi and private hire vehicle drivers stay safe
A number of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers in the Wokingham Borough have recently been abused by passengers and Wokingham Borough Council has produced advice to help drivers keep themselves safe.
Guidance, which is based on advice issued by the Home Office, has been produced for licensed taxi and private hire vehicle drivers and will be sent to every driver.
The Wokingham advice includes ensuring controllers have passengers’ contacts and keep a list of locations that have been a source of problems in the past as well as advice on adapting vehicles to make them safer, such as mirrors to see passengers in rear seats. Drivers are also advised to drop cash off during a shift, be ready to explain fare structures to passengers and to trust their instincts if they do not wish to pick up a particular fare. There is also advice on what drivers should do if they are verbally or physically assaulted.
Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for corporate services (who is responsible for community safety) Cllr Rob Stanton said: “It is a shame that this advice is necessary; many people rely on taxi and private hire vehicle drivers and so it is outrageous that any of them should be victims of assault – either verbal or physical. But we know these assaults do happen and drivers often operate at night and have to deal with people who have been drinking, which can obviously increase problems. So this advice is necessary to help drivers stay safe and I am very pleased we have produced it.”
In the past 12 months, 18 taxi drivers and private hire vehicle drivers have reported being verbally or physically assaulted while working in the Wokingham Borough.
Guidance, which is based on advice issued by the Home Office, has been produced for licensed taxi and private hire vehicle drivers and will be sent to every driver.
The Wokingham advice includes ensuring controllers have passengers’ contacts and keep a list of locations that have been a source of problems in the past as well as advice on adapting vehicles to make them safer, such as mirrors to see passengers in rear seats. Drivers are also advised to drop cash off during a shift, be ready to explain fare structures to passengers and to trust their instincts if they do not wish to pick up a particular fare. There is also advice on what drivers should do if they are verbally or physically assaulted.
Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for corporate services (who is responsible for community safety) Cllr Rob Stanton said: “It is a shame that this advice is necessary; many people rely on taxi and private hire vehicle drivers and so it is outrageous that any of them should be victims of assault – either verbal or physical. But we know these assaults do happen and drivers often operate at night and have to deal with people who have been drinking, which can obviously increase problems. So this advice is necessary to help drivers stay safe and I am very pleased we have produced it.”
In the past 12 months, 18 taxi drivers and private hire vehicle drivers have reported being verbally or physically assaulted while working in the Wokingham Borough.
Wokingham Borough Council
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