Police in Milton Keynes are working with the town’s taxi drivers and private hire drivers in a bid to cut the number of confrontations between customers and drivers. But this time instead of putting the emphasis on aggressive customers, it’s the taxi drivers who are coming under scrutiny.
The new co-operation plan has been revealed after a local woman called for private hire companies in particular to be clearer about how much they charge after she claimed a driver threw her money at her during a dispute over a fare. The company involved explained that they only give estimates and that customers need to accept that these may change slightly.
Taxi drivers in the area have responded by saying that it is not always the fault of the driver that disputes arise, and claim that passengers can often be rude, aggressive or even violent towards drivers. The most common cause for these confrontations appears to be disputes over fares, and that the best way to reduce these incidences would be to fit all taxis with meters, and to emphasise that a quote is an ‘estimated fare’ before the journey begins.
Police believe that ensuring that a price is established or that a meter is clearly seen to be switched on at the start of a journey could negate many of these confrontations before they flare up into violence or aggressive behaviour on both sides.
Fair’s fare – getting a good service
It is, without doubt, in the interest of all taxi drivers to ensure that their customers feel that they are getting a good and fair service, and that costs are reasonable. Even one brief confrontation with a client can quickly damage a company’s reputation, and if the confrontation becomes violent, lead to longer term consequences as well.
Not only could it affect a company’s or individual’s licence, but it could also impact on things such as their taxi insurance, their ability to operate in certain areas, and of course, their reputation with the public. If this can all be avoided by either fitting meters or by being absolutely clear from the outset on the price of a journey, then it will benefit not only the public – who will feel more confident about using the services of the company or driver – but the taxi industry itself.