Police allegedly marched a rape victim who had been found crying in the street at 1am to a cab firm, and then made her pay the fare home.

The woman, said to be an executive who earns £70,000 a year, had been at a party on a Thames boat and was spotted by passers-by, slumped on a south London pavement.

They alerted two Pcs and asked them to assist the woman, who was wearing only a black T-shirt.

'It should have been clear that she may have been sexually assaulted,' a source said

But instead of driving her to a hospital or a police station, the officers took her to a taxi firm close to Southwark Tube station. After it was found no one could collect her, the taxi firm agreed to take her home.

The woman reported the incident, which took place on 4 July, the next day but investigators fear important forensic evidence may have been lost.

A senior source said: 'It should have been clear that she may have been sexually assaulted. To top it off, they put her in a cab with another strange man.'

Police think the woman may have been raped by an unlicensed taxi driver who dumped her in the street.

The Met insisted the officers who were asked to help the woman were unaware she may have been raped.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036892/Police-half-naked-rape-victim-minicab-pay-fare-home.html

 

Key figures from the cab industry today revealed how drivers are turning their back on the trade with the economic downturn, fuel prices and tram roadworks being blamed.

It is understood a number of cabbies are retraining as bus drivers, while others who have passed the city’s taxi examination are choosing not to take up work.

And with fuel prices up by a third in the last year alone, drivers are also now sticking to the ranks rather than cruising the streets looking for fares.

Council chiefs have agreed to a 20p rise on all starting fares after pleas from the trade but taxi drivers have called for a wider review of fares to get under way. The most recent fares review took place last November, when prices were frozen at May 2006 levels.

Murray Fleming, secretary of Central Radio Cabs, said: “There has been a definite change over the last few months. There are more and more shifts available and a lot of the guys are struggling to get cover for holidays.

“It is the first time I can recall in my time in the trade that we have seen significant numbers leaving.

“The other thing we have noticed is that a lot of the guys who have gone through their taxi brief have decided to stay in their current jobs for now.

“I think there is a public perception that cabbies are all rolling in it, but there hasn’t been a fares increase since 2006 and they don’t have the fringe benefits of normal jobs, such as sick pay.”

Taxi fares currently start at £1.50 before 6pm on weekdays, and £2.50 at night and at weekends, rising in increments of 25p based on time and distance.

Although the taxi fares review is likely to begin by the end of this year, the council has no legal obligation to carry out another review until May next year.

Eric Shade, chairman of the Edinburgh Taxi Association, which has close to 400 members, said: “There has definitely been a slip in the numbers of drivers operating.

“Those I’ve spoken to who have left have just quit the trade completely.

“It is particularly hard at the moment and it is not just the fuel prices.

“You have a general economic downturn and when you throw in the roadworks, then people are just thinking it’s not worth it.

“The fuel costs are really hurting – this is why you are not seeing people cruising for fares because it is just not economical to do so.”

Phil Capaldi, a city taxi driver for 25 years, said: “You definitely can’t afford to go cruising around like you could in the old days.

“A lot of the guys are just parking up at the ranks now and that can cause problems because of the space available.”

http://www.toomanytaxis.com/2008/07/21/cabbies-driven-out-of-work-as-rising-fuel-costs-hit-taxi-trade/

 

The London Taxi has once again been voted the most iconic vehicle in Britain, according to a recent survey commissioned by Holiday Inn.

The poll of over 7,000 Brits was carried out by the hotel chain to find out the 50 things people love most about Britain.

The instantly recognisable black cabs ranked the highest vehicle on the list ahead of the Aston Martin, Mini Cooper and Jaguar E-type. Fish ‘n’ Chips topped the overall poll, followed by the Queen in second place and old fashioned pubs in third.

Rob Laidler, Sales Director for LTI Vehicles said: “This survey sums up everything we love about Britain and is yet another accolade for the London Taxi. It’s not hard to see why our cab is loved by millions of Britons and this result serves only to reinforce its iconic status. Visitors to this country always quote a ride in a London Taxi as one of their favourite activities. This helps make London a unique city in the world with the best taxis and taxi drivers by far.”

Andrew Smith, spokesman for Holiday Inn, commented on the findings: "As a nation, we are rightly patriotic. This list gives a fascinating insight into exactly what it means to be British – our food, history, Royalty, our many wonderful characters and all the fabulous places we love to visit."

http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/22-07-08_1