New ‘PH’ taxi identification system designed to prevent rape

[sharkman121]

‘PH’ identification system designed to prevent rapes

Published:
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Charles Kong Soo


The proposed PH drivers’ identification system could have averted incidents of rape, such as that of the 13-year-old schoolgirl who was abducted and gang-raped on Tuesday while seeking transport to return home from school.
So said vice-president of the Auxiliary Transport Association (ATA) Michael Eastman.

Speaking in an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Eastman said: “Our system would have dealt with all of that because the vehicle could have been easily identified and the men could have been traced. “We gave hundreds of names to senior police officers all across the country and the status of PH drivers, and they welcomed it and know all the drivers.”

Eastman said most if not all of the times when someone was raped, it was committed by someone from outside the area posing as a PH driver or taxi driver, since he believes no one who works regularly in a certain area would commit that kind of crime along the same route.

The association’s initiatives to prevent or eliminate rapes consisted of identifying drivers from different zones, assigning each driver a specific code number to be displayed in the driver’s car and providing the information to the police. He said the ATA proposed to the Government, a system similar to a bus pass to be displayed on every windscreen or colour-coded for different districts, but it was never finalised.

“If someone comes to your vehicle they could easily identify the driver, based on a number system for the area,” Eastman said. “The victim doesn’t have to remember the perpetrator’s face, just the identification number on a sticker as to who was using the vehicle that day. “So no one from Chaguanas could come Laventille and work, no one from Carenage could go in South and work, you had to be identified by a specific number.”

Eastman said before getting into a car, a passenger will be afforded the opportunity to text the designated driver’s number to his or her loved ones at home to update them on their movements. Plans to license PH drivers are in limbo, as legislation has not yet been amended to provide for this, and the Association of T&T Insurance Companies has not formally accepted former Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner’s proposal.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-01- ... vent-rapes

[BrotherHood]

Good news, but there are still the random Joe's that will come out and work when and where they want.

[Soul Collector]

Good news, but there are still the random Joe's that will come out and work when and where they want.

Yes but hopefully if this is implemented properly the smart ppl especially women would try to utilize it to their advantage. It wont stop rapes etc 100% but its a great step IMO.

[sMASH]

hmmn.
*stops car to go home*
*memorizes number plate*
*jumps in car to go home*
*gets raped*
*goes to police*
*give them number plate*
*they tell me they need the ph code number*
*case goes cold*

[Soul Collector]

Well man, they cant stop PH from wukin so try the next best thing. I doe care what it is na, I just glad they trying to do something, anything. It really not nice to hear these things bout women and girls getting gang raped and thing.

At the same time, they have to exercise caution and common sense themselves. When I didnt have a car and my ex had to travel it was level lecture she used to get know. Everytime, about everything, down to what clothes she wearing.

[pioneer]

Lol@ "system"

Trinis hate conforming to rules like being in the correct line in a grocery

You expect these leeches to do any diff?

[sharkman121]

you still totin cuz i bring 11 items in your "10 items or less" line while you was cashing?

[rfari]

Oh f*q:lol::lol::lol:

[pioneer]

you still totin cuz i bring 11 items in your "10 items or less" line while you was cashing?

Nah it was when you decided to not pay for them

[hustla_ambition101]

Bollocks, ph still remains illegal and not all drivers are members of that "association", failed attempt at relevance

[pioneer]

No system can ever trump common sense and freedom of choice.

[sMASH]

Good news, but there are still the random Joe's that will come out and work when and where they want.

Yes but hopefully if this is implemented properly the smart ppl especially women would try to utilize it to their advantage. It wont stop rapes etc 100% but its a great step IMO.

isn't the 'ph' thing against the law? so, if police use this, they would effectively be turning a blind eye towards an illegal activity. and this 'system' still relies on the individual commuter to comply.
why don't they assist all 'ph' car to be regularized as 'h'?
this way, u are making use of the system u already have legally in place to protect the public.
...or get rid of the 'h' cars and keep the 'ph' system.

banana republic mentality,

[pioneer]

aye aye police turn a blind eye to illegal fireworks sales on the streets...so...

[ismithx]

why would you create a ph designation if there is an H license for taxi drivers, why not make it more streamlined for them to become H drivers?? [/sense]

[sharkman121]

please tell me that yall at least understand, (even if yall dont agree with) why police seemingly "low" the pH taxi situation in Trinidad.

[pioneer]

I'm sorry if you wanna run taxi then change your friggin car to H.

[S_2NR]

I'm sorry if you wanna run taxi then change your friggin car to H.

Exactly!

[GTcruzer]

I'm sorry if you wanna run taxi then change your friggin car to H.

You ever went anywhere without mommy dropping/picking you up?

If you've ever had to use the local transport system, you'd know that at later times in the day, taxis are scarce. It sometimes takes 1hr to actually get a H car on a stand. As the place now dark, what would you rather do? Wait on the stand until god knows when to get a H car or jump in the PH car that others waiting with you also rushing & if you don't, you risk standing on the taxi/maxi stand alone. Those are the risks commuters have to take.

& if you want to argue make those PH cars H, there would be no need for that because there are sufficient H cars. However H cars tend to not work later hours because they too are also targets of easy money makers.

On days my car in the garage & have to travel late, I memorize the vehicle number (even if it's H)
Most times when driving & leaving different areas late after work/classes, I pass on whatever stand & pull a trip.

[sharkman121]

^ i didnt believe i had to explain that to pioneer and S_2nr...quite honestly, so i didnt waste my keystrokes. Never even said i condoned it, i just understood why it was given a bligh...Thanks for clarifying that to them for me though.

[GTcruzer]

^ i didnt believe i had to explain that to pioneer and S_2nr...quite honestly, so i didnt waste my keystrokes. Never even said i condoned it, i just understood why it was given a bligh...Thanks for clarifying that to them for me though.

I realised but teams were switching & i had the time.

[hustla_ambition101]

The state needs to provide a proper PT system where buses work later than 8pm. In other countries buses work around the clock, when nighttime hits the frequency is less but you can still get a bus at 1am in the morning.

[sharkman121]

nice in theory hustla but how economical would that really be? You would have like 5 ppl in a bus. Not even mentioning rural areas yet.

[Soul Collector]

Watch nah

my point is

whatever put in place to TRY and help

is good by me

and let them keep trying

OK?

ok

more beer.

[hustla_ambition101]

Sharky, they already losing money by free 60+ and school children, for rural areas they can use smaller buses like those used for places like Mundo Nuevo, they making a switch to CNG so gas prices should not be a major issue. Public transport is not about profit per se, its about providing a service to the citizenry who paying taxes. I am sure many people would rather a bus ride than a ride in a ph where you are not protected by insurance and you are more likely to get robbed, raped or shot

[sharkman121]

True, dont get me wrong its a good idea, anything to keep the citizens safe. Just wondering if the govt would see it that way.

[S_2NR]

these idiots in government need to fix CRIME first.

[hustla_ambition101]

If any of them were serious they would have dealt with the issue long ago, but as long as they and family are unaffected its up to the avg citizen to catch ass, because even regular taxis should have had some standardization and special identification by now

[nismotrinidappa]

ph is prevalent because

1 H linsurance is costly
2 car has to be inspected every year i believe
3 drivers must have a certificate of character and pass medical etc to get taxi badge so gangsters etc would not be accepted
4 many people of influence have p cars rented out etc and would feel the economic effect if ph is cracked down on
5 if crime is actually dealt with and officers actually patrol 24/7 etc lil old man driving his h car would feel safer to work late and hence more h cars working on the road at night

[redmanjp]

nice in theory hustla but how economical would that really be? You would have like 5 ppl in a bus. Not even mentioning rural areas yet.

then PTSC should have taxi service then and put them in various places where H taxis would be in the day

[sharkman121]

nice in theory hustla but how economical would that really be? You would have like 5 ppl in a bus. Not even mentioning rural areas yet.

then PTSC should have taxi service then and put them in various places where H taxis would be in the day

again... i love the idea, i just cant see it happening.