Female taxi-driver wants more security

Press, 16 August 1984, Page 9

Female taxi-driver wants more security

The president of the Taxi Proprietors’ Federation, Mr Kevin Murphy, has aroused the ire of Christchurch female taxi-drivers with his statement that women should not drive taxis at night. Mr Murphy’s comments came after a Wellington woman taxi-driver was attacked, tied up, and locked in the boot of her car on Sunday evening. A Christchurch taxidriver, Ms Marilyn Wilson, said yesterday that Mr Murphy’s reaction to the attack was “simplistic, scapegoat mentality.” “To single out one group of taxi-drivers — women — as a security risk is unfair and unproven,” she said. Ms Wilson has the support of other women taxi-drivers who drive at night. “Why should women be

made the scapegoat for an industry’s security problems?

“Mr Murphy didn’t call for Samoan taxi-drivers to be taken off the road at night when a Samoan was brutally murdered in South Auckland this year,” she said. He should look at the real problem — the need for an organised security system — even if it was expensive, said Ms Wilson.

“Does he think that by saying ‘yes, women are vulnerable to attack’ he makes it any safer for drivers out on the road?”

Talk of security or the lack of it should be done behind closed doors and result in some positive action, making taxi-drivers safe, “rather than casting off some old sexist chestnut and putting equal rights back 10 years.”

“As a’ human being, I have a right to work whenever I like. I for one feel no safer going out in the taxi tonight after Mr Murphy’s thoughtless comments,” Mrs Wilson said.

She and her colleagues were also upset by remarks made by the chairman of the board of directors of Gold Band Taxis, Mr Terry Mather. Mr Mather said at a federation meeting two weeks ago that drivers had been told that they should be aware they could be shut in car boots. “The drivers in Christchurch were not told anything about that. We don’t see why we should have to read about that in the papers,” Ms Wilson said.