Is your taxi home safe?

Devon & Cornwall Police are urging people not to use illegal taxi services after a night out.

Warnings follow a surge of people using social media sites to advertise unlawful taxi services to those seeking a cheap lift home.

“People are getting into non-licensed vehicles, potentially risking their safety” said Superintendent Keith Perkin.

“They may as well climb into a strangers car, not knowing anything about the driver. They don’t know whether the driver can drive legally, with no idea whether they have been drinking and how much. And, in the event of an accident they will not be protected by insurance. Not only that, the person is making themselves extremely vulnerable.”

“Social media sites make the practice attractive to people who want to save a few pennies, but they are putting themselves at risk and in the long run, it could cost them a lot more” added Supt Perkin.

Registered taxis go through stringent tests to ensure they are safe to carry people on board and their vehicles are regularly checked for safety.

Remember the three simple rules: re-book, use only registered taxi companies and travel with a friend if you can.

The only way to know a taxi is safe is to book it directly with the taxi company via phone, online or in person. This guarantees that your trip will be carried out by a licensed, insured driver in a licensed, insured vehicle. It also means that a record is kept of your journey, the driver and the vehicle used, so in the event of any problems, the driver can be traced.

If you are at a pub or club and you don’t have the number of a taxi company, ask staff if they can recommend one. Try to travel home with a friend and where possible, ask for the drivers name and make a note of the vehicle registration.

Charging people for taxi services when not licensed to do so is illegal and local authorities are looking into any reports received.