|
Women-only cab firm Pink Ladies cars, which launches on May 28, will only pick up female passengers and only be driven by women.
The aim is to make women passengers feel safer late at night, but male drivers say this is unnecessary.
Wayne Casey, secretary of Carlisle Taxi Association, says that by talking about stories of women being raped or murdered the firm are playing on women’s fears.
He said: “The inference from this is quite obvious and this is what the taxi trade takes exception to.
”We have all seen and have been repulsed by the stories attributed to unlicensed minicabs and unlicensed taxi drivers.
“The point is they are unlicensed and therefore illegal.
“Properly licensed taxi and private hire drivers are in all areas vetted by local authorities and 99.9 per cent of licensed drivers of both codes are decent law abiding citizens. If they weren’t the chances are they wouldn’t be licensed!
“It is a poor reflection on society that woman feel so threatened they actually need woman-only private hire firms.
“But then again, Carlisle’s taxi trade doesn’t care if you are male, female, disabled, able-bodied or what race, colour or creed you are, your money is as good as anyone else’s.”
Pink Ladies is a nationwide franchise thought up by two mums from Warrington.
The pink cars will be advertised as chauffeur-driven limousines that are pre-booked and paid for.
Because they are run on a membership basis, Pink Ladies does not need to be licensed by Carlisle City Council like traditional taxis.
Sally Ptolomey, who will run the Carlisle Pink Ladies franchise, said: “We are not saying that taxi drivers in Carlisle are unsafe, it is about feeling more comfortable.”
There are already 220 Hackney Carriage taxis in Carlisle and 50 private hire vehicles.
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/ |
