London Live's "Wrong Way Home". Presented by Louise Hulland.
Many drivers who watched the program broadcast live, were livid at the way the reporter (Louise Hulland) referred to the minicab predators as Taxi drivers, cabbies and their vehicles as cabs.
Unfortunately the studio debate which followed is not online yet. We will be posting a link as soon as it becomes available.
"We do put messaging through the trade, we do talk to drivers and more importantly, we do enforce around the laws to take people off the streets who are dangerous
Fact, in the last 3 months of 2012 only 16 drivers PHV drivers had their license revoked.
Fact, in the first 3 months of 2013, only 6 PHV drivers had their licence revoked.
Fact, TfL have stopped publishing the number of revocations on its website. Last statistics available March 2013.
Fact in the 14 years since TfL took over from the Metropolitan Police, only 1 driver has been convicted of illegally plying for hire.
The program was advertised on their website as:
London Live's exclusive new documentary strand getting under the skin of our city. Louise Hulland speaks to women who have been sexually assaulted after taking unlicensed minicabs.
Again propagating the myth that the serious sexual assaults including rapes are only being carried out by "unlicensed" minicabs. In the debate that followed Steve Wright MBE, Chair of the LPHCA, pointed out that these attacks are being carried out by unbooked, unrecorded minicabs, both licensed and unlicensed.
Statements that proactive members of the London Taxi Trade would find debatable, came from inspector Jullian Collinson of the Cab Enforcement Unit.
In an interview he said: "we know that by touting for hire and we know that by plying for hire...they are breaking the law". He went on to say: "As far as resources go, we are very well supported. We regularly call upon the two and a half thousand offices from within the safer transport command (STC) itself"
And yet when we've complained to TfL about the increasing amount of illegal plying for hire outside London's clubs and bars, they tell us they have no resources and little manpower to deal with the situation.
Someone is definitely telling porkies!
Another worrying aspect of Jullians interview, was the way he referred to the perpetrators as "Taxi Touts" instead of minicab touts.
Please watch this documentary while it's still available and use our comments page to give us your thoughts.
EDITORIAL COMMENT...by Jim Thomas.
I have no doubt that Louise Hulland is passionate about this subject and there were parts of the program that were very good. It's obvious she put a huge effort into making this report, a subject most would shy away from. Anyone who has worked on this type of project will know how extremely emotional it is, dealing with victims of rape and serious sexual assault.
In my humble opinion, not enough effort was put into consulting with Taxi trade representatives when the script was put together. Our reps could have pointed out the pitfalls and where certain people were pulling the wool over Louise's eyes.
So again, we've seen blurring of the lines between Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles.
Below is a video I made in 2011. It shows how bad the situation had become. TfL commissioner Peter Hendy denied the 54% increase in minicab related sexual assaults on radio, even though the figures had appeared on the TfL website.
Things are now much worse.
In 2012, the prestigious Goldstein Award winning report, "Problem orientated Policing Clapham", we were informed by the Met, in their opinion 90% of all minicab related sexual attacks go unreported and in their estimation, there are currently 20 to 25 attacks every week.
London live is available on sky 117, Virgin 159, freeview 8... Also at londonlive.co.uk.
7 comments:
Surely we did not expect anyone from TfL to 'fess up' to the enormity of their complete disregard for safety of the public on this matter.
We also expect the police officers career prospects to come to a halt as he stated things they don't want aired.
Well signposted Ed.
Let's hope some M.P 's and GLA members will watch it,
Jus another example of lazy journalism. We've seen it before in virtually all news papers including local freebees
And also on mainline stations such as BBC ITV and Chanel 4.
Nothing new just poor research and no proper consultation.
Why don't these people ask for help Jim
After all you do surely you must have a wealth of information they could use,
John Worboys 100 victims !
Again we see he media and licensing authority promoting the myth that these attacks are mainly carried out by "unlicensed minicabs"
This is simply not the case.
The majority of these attacks are carried out by unbooked, licensed minicabs who are allowed by the authorities to illegally plying for hire outside clubs and bars.
Everyone turns a blind eye just to clear the street.
Steve wright said in the debate after the program if legitimate minicabs don't wait outside clubs then touts will.
It's easy, just enforce the law and keep on nicking the touts.
The authorities have give up protecting the public. Plus the pool of thousands of STC officers is fictional.
Victims are seen as collateral damage, in a bit to clear the streets of drunken nightclub revellers.
Very worrying is the fact that Mr Wright stated TfL now say destinations don't need to be recorded when bookings are made,
Never mind the Shard, this should be the spark that ignites the Taxi trade into serious direct action
WTF is Oddy doing on the board of TfL?
Why did I have to hear this from Steve Wright?
Why was this not splattered across the front page of Taxi magazine?
Excellent post jimmy.
Why don't the program makers contact Thomas the Taxi and remake this very misleading program. At the very least he should have been invited on to the debate which followed, if only to give a balanced view.
Eh, could it be that the money behind this channel comes from outer old friends at the Sub Standard
Ms Hulland felt sorry for the touts who got arrested
Would she have felt that way had she (god forbid) been attacked and assaulted by one?
Where was the UTG during the "Srap the Satellites stop the Rapes demo?
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