Call for cabbies to clean up

Photo / Herald on Sunday

For years, taxi watchdogs have been warning cabbies to clean up their Wild West acts.

Transport Agency spokesman Andy Knackstedt said there were still some operators not meeting standards.

"They [industry enforcement team] are doing all they can to improve standards in the industry."

In April, a Tauranga taxi driver pleaded not guilty to offering a 15-year-old a free ride before molesting her.

In March taxi driver Abdirazak Yussaf Mussa was found guilty on two charges of rape, and sentenced to nine-years' imprisonment. He picked up an 18-year-old female and raped her twice in the early hours of September 3, 2006.

Both times he wore separate condoms because he was HIV-positive.

In April 2008, a taxi driver was accused in the Auckland District Court of kidnapping a drunk 24-year-old lawyer and sexually attacking her in the back of his car.

* Simple rules to keep you safe

Well-known companies are more likely to have internal inspections to weed out bad eggs.

Note driver's ID and vehicle's registration number.

If you are putting a friend who has been drinking into a cab alone, take a mobile phone photograph of the driver's ID and rego plate.

If you become uneasy, call the police or talk to a friend until you are home safe.

Talk about a father, boyfriend or husband who is waiting for you. A pair of men's boots on the doorstep may help if you live alone.

Car keys are a great weapon if you hold them in your fist with the keys poking between your fingers.

Make sure your spare house key is not in an obvious hiding place.

If you want to make a complaint, contact your local police station or the New Zealand Transport Agency.