The Q-Safe Taxi Marshal Scheme.
Q-Safe was developed following discussions between the Safer St Helier Community Partnership and the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association.
The aim of the scheme is to provide supervision for the late night Taxi queues at the Weighbridge, ensuring that queues are orderly and that queue-jumping and associated disorder are minimised, In turn it was hoped that this would make residents and visitors feel safer by preventing associated anti-social behaviour.
It was agreed with the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association that the marshals would be provided with direct communication to drivers using there in car radio system, This has enabled them to update passengers on the approximate waiting time and also provides the marshals with a means of contacting drivers regarding passengers who are unruly or unfit to travel.
A trial project was run between the 7th and 31st December 2007, Marshals worked between the hours of 10:30pm – 3:30am on Friday’s and Saturday’s and during some bank holidays.
The results from the trial proved so positive that it was agreed that the scheme should continue, Since that time Q-Safe Taxi Marshals have been working at the Weighbridge Taxi Rank most Friday and Saturday evenings and on bank holidays when funding has allowed.
The use of Taxi Marshals at the busy times has been very successful, results are almost exclusively positive with reduced crime and anti-social behaviour, improved customer satisfaction and safety for both passengers and Taxi drivers are just some of the benefits being reported by both customers and Taxi drivers.
The Jersey Police said that reports of drunkenness and anti-social behaviour at the Taxi Rank have also significantly reduced.
Furthermore, results from the evaluation of the pilot showed that the vast majority of people interviewed felt the scheme was making a positive difference. Many said it made them feel safer, in particular Taxi drivers remarked that it made them feel safer and was likely to lead to more drivers willing to work the Rank at weekends.
In February 2009 Acting Chief Officer David Warcup said: 'We welcome and fully support the introduction of Taxi Marshals. 'They have brought considerable benefits in increasing safety in that area'.
The aim of the scheme is to provide supervision for the late night Taxi queues at the Weighbridge, ensuring that queues are orderly and that queue-jumping and associated disorder are minimised, In turn it was hoped that this would make residents and visitors feel safer by preventing associated anti-social behaviour.
It was agreed with the Jersey Taxi Drivers Association that the marshals would be provided with direct communication to drivers using there in car radio system, This has enabled them to update passengers on the approximate waiting time and also provides the marshals with a means of contacting drivers regarding passengers who are unruly or unfit to travel.
A trial project was run between the 7th and 31st December 2007, Marshals worked between the hours of 10:30pm – 3:30am on Friday’s and Saturday’s and during some bank holidays.
The results from the trial proved so positive that it was agreed that the scheme should continue, Since that time Q-Safe Taxi Marshals have been working at the Weighbridge Taxi Rank most Friday and Saturday evenings and on bank holidays when funding has allowed.
The use of Taxi Marshals at the busy times has been very successful, results are almost exclusively positive with reduced crime and anti-social behaviour, improved customer satisfaction and safety for both passengers and Taxi drivers are just some of the benefits being reported by both customers and Taxi drivers.
The Jersey Police said that reports of drunkenness and anti-social behaviour at the Taxi Rank have also significantly reduced.
Furthermore, results from the evaluation of the pilot showed that the vast majority of people interviewed felt the scheme was making a positive difference. Many said it made them feel safer, in particular Taxi drivers remarked that it made them feel safer and was likely to lead to more drivers willing to work the Rank at weekends.
In February 2009 Acting Chief Officer David Warcup said: 'We welcome and fully support the introduction of Taxi Marshals. 'They have brought considerable benefits in increasing safety in that area'.
All the JTDA all the members support Q-Safe, look out for membership stickers on the Taxi windscreens.
