Text service to cut minicab rapes

All minicab drivers should be licensed by 2006

A new text service has been started to reduce the number of sex attacks on women by illegal minicab drivers.

From Tuesday, pleople can text 'HOME' to 60835 to receive local licensed cab numbers from Transport for London.

Police figures show there are on average 10 sex assaults or rapes on women every month in London by unregistered minicab drivers.

The scheme is part of the mayor Ken Livingstone's 'Know what you're getting into' campaign.

The project launched three years ago has seen an increase in night buses, the licensing of all minicab vehicles and operators and making taxi touting a recordable offence.

The introduction of this innovative texting service means it should now be possible, wherever you are in London, to find a licensed taxi or minicab operator Ed Thompson, Public Carriage Office

It also launched the Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) - a dedicated police team which targets crime relating to bus and minicab activities.

Future initiatives include all buses being fitted with CCTV by the end of 2005 - currently 90-95 per cent of buses have CCTV - and all minicab drivers licensed by summer 2006.

Ed Thompson from the Public Carriage Office, said: "All private hire vehicles, which now have to display yellow licensing discs in their windscreens, must be pre-booked.

"The introduction of this innovative texting service means it should now be possible, wherever you are in London, to find a licensed taxi or minicab operator."