Passenger Feedback Prompts Extensive UK Taxi Safety Investigation

When taxi company executive Shaz Malik began inquiring about passengers’ feelings of safety in cabs, the responses were described as “a wake-up call”. Following a series of incidents, including the case of Nazim Asmal, who impersonated a taxi driver to pick up and rape three women in Blackburn, Mr Malik stated that up to 300 individuals reported having been harassed or assaulted by drivers. Concluding that the issue “could not ignored forever”, he decided to collaborate with his local university. This partnership is set to launch what is believed to be the first ever large-scale investigation into taxi customer safety in the UK. Joanne Westwood, a professor of social work education at the University of Central Lancashire, noted the scarcity of available evidence. However, she indicated that existing evidence suggested taxi customers were in a particularly vulnerable position. She explained, “If somebody was harassing you or making you feel uncomfortable in the street, you would just get up and you just walk away,” adding, “You can’t do that in a in a taxi, in in a moving vehicle.” Professor Westwood, who is leading the study alongside Dr Helen Richardson Foster, expressed her conviction that the research would bring new evidence to light. She anticipated, “What I expect is that there will be incidences and experiences that people talk about that they might not have talked about before.” Mr Malik, who also serves as the director of the Chorley Taxi Association, conveyed his hope that the research would contribute to improving his industry. He mentioned that while the majority of drivers were professional, the incident involving 35-year-old Asmal – who received a 17-year prison sentence for four sex attacks against three women – had tarnished the industry’s reputation. Mr Malik emphasized the importance for customers possessing any evidence of problems with genuine taxi drivers to report such occurrences to law enforcement and local council licensing departments. Caragh Campbell, a call handler for the night-time safety helpline Strutsafe, reported receiving accounts from women who had unsettling encounters in taxis. Ms Campbell recounted: “We have had one caller who was like ‘I just got a really weird vibe in the taxi and then I actually got to my house and kind of peeped through the peephole and the taxi was still sitting there a few minutes later’.” She added, “I think people get that gut feeling and people should always, always follow it. They’re never wasting their time if they call us.” She suggested that collaborations between taxi operators and entities such as Strutsafe, involving the display of the Strutsafe number within vehicles, could enhance passenger safety perceptions. Ms Campbell commented: “I think most taxi drivers would be up for that because they don’t have any sinister motives.“They just want the passenger to get home safely.” The University of Central Lancashire’s Safety in Taxis survey will conclude at midnight on Sunday 1 December. Audiences can listen to highlights from BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and engage with BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story suggestions can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and through Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.