100,000 SMSs Sent to Order Taxi Cabs in London
London's transport body has reported that over 100,000 texts from people looking for a safe journey home in a licensed minicab or taxi were sent in 2007, tripling the number of Cabwise requests in the two years since its launch.
By texting the word 'HOME' to the Cabwise number, 60835, the area a caller is in can be identified and the phone numbers of a black cab company, as well as two local licensed minicab firms, sent back.
The Cabwise service is a key part of the Mayor's Safer Travel at Night Campaign which works in partnership between the GLA, the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London to raise awareness of the dangers of using illegal minicabs and the safe travel options in the capital at night.
The proportion of women willing to use illegal cabs in the West End has reduced from 18 per cent to four per cent since 2003, and there has been a 46 per cent reduction in cab related sexual offences over the past five years.
A record 23,000 text messages were received in December last year.
Posted to the site on 25th February 2008