THE Island’s police chief has described the existence of unofficial transport providers such as Jersey Lifts as “a very difficult” problem.
Robin Smith was asked during a Scrutiny panel hearing whether he was worried about safety risks resulting from such providers. The chief of police said the issue had been raised with him on several occasions by former Home Affairs Minister Len Norman and that he had discussed it previously with the Jersey Taxi Drivers’ Association.
Mr Smith said: “It’s a wicked problem, by which I mean it’s a very difficult one to solve. It’s a very popular service, but I know taxi drivers might not describe it like that.”
Enforcement action was not the best approach to dealing with the issue, he added, but he said that he was willing to engage with taxi drivers in an effort to establish possible solutions. He said the situation with taxi drivers and Jersey Lifts was “an unhappy co-existence”.
Asked by panel member Constable Marcus Troy whether he recognised “potential over-riding benefits” to Jersey Lifts continuing to operate, the police chief said: “I would never say that, but there are arguments on more than one side.”
Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles told the Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel that there were public safety concerns, because people “did not know whose car they were getting into”.
