The issue of people offering unlicensed taxi services resurfaced last month after a joint letter was sent on behalf of the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association and firms Yellow Cabs, Citicabs, Liberty Cabs and Domino Cabs to Home Affairs Minister Len Norman.
The group expressed mounting frustration over unregulated services such as ‘Jersey Lifts’ – a Facebook page via which Islanders can offer transport for money without the necessary licences or background checks – and called for Mr Norman to address the issue, which has been a point of contention for several years.
They also highlighted the action taken in other areas, such as Southampton, where a strict approach has been taken towards illegal taxi services with heavy fines and groups being shut down.
Responding to the letter, Mr Norman said that previous police campaigns to crack down on the issue had not led to any cases going to court, despite a number of drivers being stopped, checked, arrested and interviewed.
‘Consequently, the overall impact on the unregulated taxi community was negligible,’ he said. ‘This highlighted that the issue cannot be solved by enforcement alone and requires wider thought and consideration around why it is seemingly so popular in the Island.’
He said that the States police received ‘very few, if any complaints’ about Jersey Lifts – which currently maintains a Facebook following of around 22,000 people.
‘Since Jersey Lifts and other unregulated drivers have operated in the Island, States of Jersey Police have always responded to any serious criminal matters associated with this activity – for example, allegations of physical or sexual assault or other predatory behaviour by such drivers. However, over the last two years no such associated serious crimes have been reported.
‘The references in your letter to other jurisdictions may offer a potential way forward. By taking a wider collaborative approach and bringing together key partner agencies we could collectively seek to address the root causes, rather than just the symptoms, with a view to identifying sustainable solutions that periodic enforcement, set against competing demands, will not deliver.’
However, the group has said that Mr Norman’s response ‘falls far short’ of what had been expected, and that it had left the local taxi-cab industry ‘angry and upset’.
They also said: ‘Without any action to tackle this problem it sadly appears that it is going to take a serious assault or rape or an accident resulting in serious injury or even death before the authorities act to stop this illegal activity. The blame will, of course, be laid squarely at the feet of those who did nothing to try to stop it from happening and we sincerely hope that this issue will not simply be ignored as too difficult to address.’
Steve Marsh, Jersey Taxi Drivers Association president, said the group was awaiting a further response from Mr Norman.
‘We are very disappointed in the reply,’ he said. ‘If nothing is done it [the situation] is just going to escalate.’
He added: ‘You are elected minister to uphold the laws of Jersey – you can’t say that because it’s popular it’s all right.’
