Touts warned as enforcement stepped up

As Londoners begin to celebrate the festive season, the City – as well as all boroughs of the Capital - has seen an increase in police action against touting and other illegal cab activity.

Operation STAN (Safer Travel At Night) involves officers from the City of London Police, Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport Command. Cab related offences fell by 21 per cent last year, however the aim is to make travelling in London after dark even safer for Londoners and visitors to the City.
A thorough programme of action has been lined up over the next few weeks, including a thought-provoking campaign warning of the dangers of getting into unbooked minicabs, as well as work to identify, disrupt and deter illegal cab activity.

The first phase of Operation Safer Travel at Night involved officers checking vehicles and speaking with Londoners and students to provide advice and information on travelling safely.  As well as encouraging passengers to use licensed taxis or licensed minicabs, officers reminded them that only taxis (black cabs) can be stopped and picked up off the street without a pre-booking.

Any minicab that isn’t booked through a licensed minicab operator is dangerous and puts the travelling public at risk of attack, including sexual assault and robbery. Minicabs lined up outside pubs and clubs are breaking the law if they accept a fare without a booking being made first. The advice to passengers is that they should not approach minicab drivers, and any minicab driver that approaches them on the street anywhere is acting illegally. Do not get in.

Since the campaign began on the 18th of November, 12 arrests for taxi-touting have been made in the City and 16 vehicles have been seized for no or incorrect insurance. 

Inspector John Ryland of City of London Police Safer Transport team said:

“This is an on-going priority for the City of London Police and, working with our colleagues in the Met and Transport for London, we’re doing everything we can to crack down on illegal minicab touts and to warn passengers never to pick up an unbooked minicab in the street.”

The step up in enforcement and engagement activity demonstrates how seriously the Mayor of London, TfL and the police take this issue. They are using a broad range of tactics to detect and deal with touts including making greater use of financial investigation and confiscation of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act and ancillary orders.