TV favourite Lisa Snowdon warns of bogus taxis

Model-turned-TV presenter Lisa Snowdon is backing a seasonal push urging Christmas revellers to beware of bogus taxi drivers.

Taxiwise is a national campaign promoting safe travelling over the Christmas period with the use of licensed taxis and fighting to stamp out unlicensed drivers pretending to be legitimate cabbies and preying on unsuspecting fares.

In a seasonal message to the public, it is urging people to make sure they use only licensed Hackney carriages – traditionally the London-style cabs – or pre-booked private hire vehicles.

And Lisa has got behind the campaign, warning people to make sure they get home safely during the party season.

Lisa said: “It can be all too easy for people to go out for a Christmas party, have a couple more drinks than they might normally and then simply get into the first vehicle that pulls up offering to take them home.

“But that makes you an easy target for the illegal and unlicensed drivers who cruise the streets looking for people to pick up. It’s a big risk to take.

“Play it safe. Always make sure the taxi you are getting into is a legitimate one. The safest way to do this is to hail a London-style taxi or book a cab in advance, and always check the taxi licence plate.”

Lisa is the latest in a string of celebrities to support Taxiwise since it was launched in 2003. Last Christmas, TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher called for people to make sure they knew what they were getting into when travelling home.

In previous years, both TV personality Tamara Beckwith and sports pundit Gabby Logan have spearheaded the annual Christmas push for Taxiwise, which has the support of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the UK’s leading personal safety charity.

Attackers posing as cab drivers destroy the lives of hundreds of people in the UK each year.

Through highlighting the dangers to people trying to get home and offering advice on how to tell if a cab is legitimate, Taxiwise has prompted other organisations to start local safety campaigns.

Celeste Clarke, spokeswoman for Taxiwise, said: “We don’t want to dampen the fun of the party season. We just want everyone to think carefully about how they are getting home and not put themselves in danger by getting into unlicensed minicabs.”