Month: August 2014

Taxis send to hospital or morgue two people a week

See below the figures released by TfL.

Some comments:

1. No evidence of any improvement in the figures in past five years
2. TfL is the regulator of the 75,000 drivers. TfL does not have specific reduction targets for the KSIs from the drivers it regulates.
3. TfL has a very amateurish way to investigate allegations of dangerous driving by its regulated drivers. Essentially it sends out a letter to the driver to “remind him [or her] of the standards of driving and behaviour that we expected our licensed taxi and private hire drivers to demonstrate at all times.”
4. Good luck to anyone attempting to report an incident of bad driving to the Police. Their RoadSafe website is typical British diversionary tactics “show you are doing something, while actually doing nothing”

==> Dangerous driving by taxi drivers is an unpoliced crime, allowed to fester on our streets, destroying the quality of life of all citizens.

P.S. Thanks to Tom Kearney for forcing out the data.

KSIs for taxis and private hire vehicles
Question No: 2014/2349
Darren Johnson
Can you provide statistics regarding the number of deaths and injuries to a) drivers b) passengers c) pedestrians and d) cyclists as a result of road collisions involving London taxis for each of the the last 5 years, up to the latest date for which figures are available?
Written response from the Mayor
The tables below provide figures for personal injury collisions that occurred on the public highway, reported by the police in accordance with the STATS19 national reporting system, for the five-year period 2009 to 2013.  STATS19 reports all injury collisions, including those involving a ‘taxi or private hire’ vehicle, as a single category rather than for ‘London taxis’ only. 
 
Over the same period, the number of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in London has increased by 6 per cent, from 71,627 to 75,621. The number of licensed taxi drivers and taxis are at the highest level on record.
 
 
 
 
 
TfL will publish quarterly provisional STATS19 figures throughout the year, including those for ‘taxi or private hire’ vehicles.  This will be available by late summer on the TfL website at: www.tfl.gov.uk/roadsafety.
 
TfL is continuing its work to raise awareness of cycle safety with taxi and private hire drivers and to reduce the number of collisions involving taxis or private hire vehicles with cyclists. Work has also been done to remind passengers to look out for cyclists when getting out of a taxi or private hire vehicle in order to reduce ‘doorings’ and collisions between cyclists and taxi/private hire passengers. New proposals to improve cycle safety around taxis and private hire vehicles are included in the draft Cycle Safety Action Plan, on which I am seeking public feedback. I welcome suggestions on how we can make cycling in London even safer.
 
The consultation is available here: