Driving Illegal Taxi Touts Off London's Streets

LONDON – August 11, 2008: LTI Vehicles, manufacturer of the world famous London Taxi, is encouraging local Councils to crackdown on illegal taxi touts by following the example set by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Last month a series of measures announced by the Mayor sent out a strong message to illegal touts. A serious and dangerous practice, illegal touts use unlicensed taxis that are not insured and pose a real threat to anyone tempted to use them.

Unlicensed taxis contribute to some of the most serious crime in London. In 2007, there was an average of seven sexual attacks and rapes on women by illegal minicab drivers each month*.

Plans to crackdown on London’s illegal cab trade include doubling the number of cab enforcement offers from 34 to 68 and introducing a ‘one-strike’ rule that would ensure cabbies convicted of touting would immediately have their licence revoked.

A spokesperson for LTI Vehicles said: “We welcome the decision made by Boris Johnson to take a hard line with illegal taxi touts. We hope that other Councils, if not done so already, quickly follow suit.

“Removing touts from our streets is a step in the right direction to ensure that everyone can feel safe when they travel by taxi. It’s important that people using a taxi late at night can hire one with complete confidence. The best way to do this is to hail an instantly recognisable London style taxi or to book a private hire vehicle in advance using a reputable firm.”