I WOULD like to bring this incident to the attention of anyone who uses any one of Tavistock?s many taxi companies.

Last Saturday evening, around midnight, I pulled into Bedford Square and stopped my car (a white Astra) against the kerb on the town hall side, My husband (a taxi driver) was in the car in front of me, and, as he got out of his car to speak to me, two young ladies opened the doors of my car. One got in the back and one in the front. They asked me to take them to Plymouth as ?everyone else was busy?.

I pointed out to the girls that they had in fact got into a private car and not a taxi. She replied that she assumed I was a taxi as I had stopped in the square.

The girls alighted from my vehicle and I swopped my private car for a hackney carriage-plated taxi from my company and took the girls to Plymouth.

I would like to say to the public what I said to these two girls;

Do not assume any car parked in the square or on the taxi rank is a taxi.

Do not get into a car that does not show a West Devon Borough Council hackney carriage or private hire plate ? this will be on the rear of the car. Writing on the windscreen or on the doors of a vehicle does not necessarily mean it is a plated vehicle.

Any taxi waiting on a taxi rank or picking you up from a taxi rank within the West Devon area must display a West Devon Borough Council-approved plate and not any other council, unless you have pre-booked.

As there are many taxis in Tavistock displaying these plates you should not have any trouble in finding a plated hackney carriage or private hire vehicle to take you on your journey.

Carole

Jaycars Taxis