A new warning has been issued after a surge in ‘fake’ taxis being advertised on social media.
Police are warning people about the dangers of getting into unlicensed taxis after an increase in the number of people offering their services on sites like Facebook.
Passengers using these online fake taxis can never be guaranteed how safe they are going to be. By getting into one of these vehicles you could potentially be putting your life at risk.
A really important part of a night out is making sure that you can get home safely afterwards.
The best way to ensure your safety is either to prearrange a lift with a friend or family member, or to only use a licensed taxi, especially in light of the recent minicab sexual assault statistics for 2015 which show 180 reported serious sexual assaults including rapes, with 112 driver arrests.
A spokesperson for the police said:
“We don’t want to see people getting into these online unlicensed fake taxis. If you get into one of these cars you are putting yourself at risk. An unbooked car ride, is just a stranger with a car.
By getting into an unlicensed vehicle at the end of a night out you are taking big risks with your personal safety.
