Taxi Marshals

Oxford City Council has implemented a Taxi Marshal Scheme at various Taxi ranks in the City Centre. Marshals have proven to be highly effective in towns and cities in reducing illegal ‘pick ups’, controlling taxi queues, improving the safety of vulnerable persons and dealing with confrontational situations.

Confrontation can occur when Private Hire Drivers operate illegally by touting for business more commonly known as 'plying for hire', stop to pick up fares in 'no stopping areas' causing obstruction or operate without a valid licence. It is the responsibility of the Taxi Marshals to prevent such activity and report offenders so that legal action may be brought against those persons.

Confrontation may also occur when individuals or groups of people behave in an unsociable manner in taxi queues. This type of behaviour has to be defused quickly in order to prevent violence and public disorder. Such disorder in a taxi queue can result in anything from physical assault to a road traffic accident if not controlled.

The Taxi Marshals work closely with the Licensing Authority, Thames Valley Police and the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA), in order to ensure the efficient running of the operation. They are able to communicate any problems that they witness via the Radio-Link scheme to the CCTV Control Room, as Taxi Marshals are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Licensing Authority and the Police and can play a vital role in the reduction of crime.

Professional Taxi Marshals are a valuable asset to any town centre operation.

Duties of a Taxi Marshal:

• Wear the high visibility jacket provided by Oxford City Council at all times during shift.
• Have an understanding of the difference between a Taxi (Hackney Carriage Vehicle) and a Private Hire Vehicle, so as to ensure that only Hackney Carriage Vehicles licensed by Oxford City Council access the rank, and an understanding of the conditions, criteria and regulations regarding the licensing of drivers and vehicles with the Licensing Authority.
• Be responsible for a queuing system on the rank and match passenger number to Hackney Carriage Vehicles (Black Cabs).
• Have an understanding of the local taxi tariff in order to provide advice to the general public.
• Ensure that lone females, vulnerable persons or persons accompanied by children are adequately supervised.
• Advise any Private Hire Drivers of Private Hire Vehicles that may be waiting nearby without a booking to move on, as their actions constitute “plying for hire”, and to note the details of the vehicle make, model, colour and licence plate and if possible the Private Hire Driver badge number in their note pad.
• Prevent conflicts from arising on the rank and between the general public and taxi drivers by ensuring order and providing conflict management.
• Ensure that every driver that pulls up at the rank is displaying his or her Hackney Carriage Driver “badge”, identifying such a person as being licensed by Oxford City Council.
• Pass the details of any Taxi Driver who behaves in a manner that gives cause for concern, to the Licensing Authority or an officer of Thames Valley Police as soon as possible, including name, date and badge number.
• Have an understanding of drivers rights to:

(i) Refuse fares where they have a reasonable excuse.
(ii) Set the price of a fare prior to departing if the journey takes them beyond the City boundary.

• Have an understanding that when attempting to enter a licensed vehicle, that passengers must:

(i) Not be excessively drunk
(ii) Not be violent
(iii) Not be abusive
(iv) Not eat
(v) Not drink
(vi) Not smoke
(vii) Know their destination and relay such information to the driver
(viii) Have the required finances to pay for the journey.

• Use the Radio-Link appropriately to communicate with officers of Thames Valley Police and other Security Staff.

Page last reviewed 30 November 2011