No quick fix

A Massey University researcher is warning against relying on technology like on-board security cameras to make taxi drivers safer.

Dr Bevan Catley told Safeguard that instead a systematic approach should be taken to improve safety. “While it is tempting to use technology as solution, it is not necessarily a silver bullet.”

Catley was commenting on the Taxi Federation’s recent announcement it would fit all its cabs with hidden cameras to protect drivers from the kind of attack that killed Auckland taxi driver Hiren Mohini, who was repeatedly stabbed in his cab.

A member of Massey University’s Healthy Work Group, Catley says its researchers welcome the review of safety standards in the taxi industry announced by Prime Minister John Key following the fatal stabbing.

He recommends a good place to start is through the collection of data to develop something like an accident register, recording the location, time and nature of the incidents, and instilling in drivers a culture of reporting adverse events. “In this way we can build an accurate picture what is happening to drivers and identify the hazards, then undertake risk assessment and preventative strategies.”

Catley says outcomes could include knowing that when drivers are working certain shifts the risks are elevated, and they could be trained to deal with potentially violent situations like calming angry passengers. “It’s about informed awareness, not just grabbing random solutions.”

He rates taxi driving as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. In countries like the United States, Canada and South Africa the evidence indicates taxi drivers as most likely to be killed on the job after police officers. Catley says it is not surprising taxi drivers are at risk. “You can tick many boxes ... working alone, working with cash, night shifts, intoxicated clients, and travelling to remote locations where there are not always many people around.”

A survey conducted by the Healthy Work Group last year found one in three employers had had staff assaulted in the workplace, and identified transport workers as among the most at risk.

This story appeared in Safeguard Update newsletter of 22 February 2010.

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