London Taxi PR and City of London Crime Prevention Association launch Women's Safety Initiative
Updated: Nov 5, 2023
London Taxi PR (LTPR) in collaboration with the City of London Crime Prevention Association announced the launch of a Women's Safety Initiative at the Liverpool Street Station taxi rank.
The aim of this scheme is to provide experienced taxi marshalling services in order to create a safer environment for the public, particularly women, who prefer to use licensed black cabs as their mode of transport during late hours of the evening and early morning.
The initiative, which had a soft launch on 2 November, also seeks to increase the availability of London Taxis in the City during these late hours. Don Randall MBE, a senior member of the security community, has led and coordinated the initiative along with City of London officials to secure the necessary funding resources.
With the majority of office workers returning to the City and the growing number of late-night social venues experiencing heavier footfall, a safe form of public transport beyond the operating hours of buses and trains is crucial.
Representatives from London Taxi PR, City of London Crime Prevention Association, and The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers (WCHCD) recently met with officials from the British Transport Police and City of London Police at the Liverpool Street rank to discuss the functioning and operation of the scheme.
The official licensed London taxi rank at Liverpool Street will be clearly signposted, and identifiable marshals wearing Hi-Vis jackets will be present to assist the public. The initiative will operate on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 10pm until 1am, possibly extending until 2am. The timings will be regularly reviewed to assess the need for late-night transport and customer demand.
Two taxi marshals, both licensed London Taxi drivers, will be present at the rank. Apart from enhancing safety, the scheme aims to deter criminal activities in the area and maintain a secure environment for customers, as it has done in the past.
Furthermore, the initiative will support other City of London initiatives to prevent violence against women and girls (P-VAWG), with Marshals ensuring the safety of lone females and vulnerable individuals.
To monitor the effectiveness of the initiative, data will be collected monthly. This includes details on the number of individuals assisted, the frequency of black cabs passing through the rank during operation hours, peak activity periods, and any incidents that may occur. The information will be analyzed by the City of London Crime Prevention Association.
As part of the launch, Mindset Associates, an initiative member, has created a survey aimed at gathering useful data to further support the scheme. The survey is now live and can be accessed at the following link:
Andy Scott, London Taxi PR, said: “By working together with The City of London Crime Prevention Association to promote and launch this initiative, we hope that it will not only benefit the travelling public and in particular women travelling home late at night, but also have a double effect on the profession operating in the City.
“On the one hand it will provide those who seek a safe mode of public transport with identifiable Taxi Marshals who will operate at the Liverpool Street Station Taxi rank to help assist customers, particularly any women who may have previously felt vulnerable late at night with getting Taxis in the area. Hopefully with the Marshals being present they will feel more secure. Secondly, we hope that by the operating of this scheme, there will not only be an increase in Black Cabs within that area through to the early hours, but also that it might help persuade City officials and Transport for London to open up areas where London Taxis are currently prevented from accessing, such as Bank Junction and Bishopsgate.”
