New blitz on bogus cabbies

A stream of attacks on passengers by bogus minicab drivers has led Westminster council to demand emergency licences to weed out rogue drivers. Illegal cabbies are attacking at least three people a night making the West End one of the most dangerous parts of London.

Under the plan drivers would be screened before getting photo-ID cards with details of their cab firm, national insurance number, driving licence and vehicle insurance. Westminster says cards could be issued in weeks.

The issue has become more pressing with reports that Mayor of London Ken Livingstone's official licensing scheme is way behind schedule and may not be completed until 2006.

Westminster is appealing to the Public Carriage Office (PCO), part of the Mayor's Transport for London authority, to launch the temporary licences as soon as possible. So far the PCO has not been persuaded, claiming it would be impossible to conduct thorough criminal record checks in such a short period of time.

But today, Westminster's cabinet member for transport, Charles Cronin, said: "Most nights about 100,000 people leave clubs and pubs between 1am and 4am and illegal minicab drivers, many of whom may be dangerous, are cashing in. The public cannot wait until 2006.

"I know it would not be a panacea but it would be an important half-way house giving travellers a measure of added security until full licensing is completed. The information we need to issue these temporary licences is already on record."

Mr Cronin claimed many legitimate drivers' details were already known through the PCO's pre-registration scheme ahead of the official licensing deadline. He said these drivers would at least have driving licences, insurance, known credentials. Other drivers' details are held by minicab operators licensed by the PCO.

Once identified and caught, touts' cars can be impounded.

Scotland Yard has said illegal drivers in the capital were responsible for more than 150 recorded rapes and sexual assaults in 2001, compared with 66 four years before. But officers believe the true figure could be "well over" 1,000 as such attacks are "seriously under-reported".