Police and Council helping keep young people safe this Christmas when taking a taxi

Humberside Police are making sure children are safe when taking a taxi thanks to a recent operation.

Operation Makesafe focuses on helping drivers recognise and report signs of exploitation and reinforces the importance of partnership working to ensure every journey is safe. This includes children travelling on their own or asking to be taken to a destination that is far away.

Taxi drivers play a vital role in protecting vulnerable passengers. If you have concerns during a booking, Police and the Council ask that you refuse the fare and immediately call 101, providing the following details:

• Your concerns
• A description of the child
• The time and location of the request
• The requested destination address

You can make a difference and keep children safe.

It’s also important for adults to follow these top tips when taking a taxi to make sure you get in the right car:

• Always use a licensed vehicle.
• Hackney Carriage Vehicles can pick up unarranged fares from the street.  They have a taxi roof sign and a white licence plate on the rear bumper. 
• Private hire vehicles are not permitted to pick up from the street without being pre-booked.  They have a half-moon door sign on the front two doors which says ‘advanced bookings only’, and a yellow licence plate on the rear bumper. Book by phone, email or in a private hire office.  Never approach or accept a journey from a private hire driver which isn’t pre-booked.
• When your booked vehicle arrives, make sure the driver can confirm your name and destination – check this before you get into the vehicle.
• Always check the driver’s photo ID badge.
• Never risk getting into a private hire vehicle which is not pre-booked.
• Be aware of unlicensed drivers offering lifts through Facebook. Licensed Vehicles and drivers go through thorough checks to make sure that they are safe and roadworthy. There are significant public safety concerns around using unlicensed taxis.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: “Remember to keep yourself safe and always make sure you are getting in a licensed taxi.

“The public’s safety is always our number one priority, and we want to reiterate how dangerous getting into an unlicensed taxi can be.

“In addition, we ask taxi drivers to be aware of the possibility of a vulnerable or exploited child using the vehicle and do the right thing when they suspect something is wrong.”

Detective Inspector Tim Hudson, lead for Op Makesafe, added: “It is vital we raise awareness of child criminal and sexual exploitation amongst key local businesses, as well as members of the public so they can learn what to look out for, spot the signs, and ultimately help safeguard young people.

“We want to give taxi drivers, and ultimately our communities, the confidence to report their concerns or suspicions to us, knowing that they will be taken seriously, and we will do everything we can to disrupt and deter potential exploiters; preventing young people from being exploited in the first place.

“This activity is not about catching businesses out, it’s about coming together to stop exploitation, especially because it is an extremely difficult crime to identify.