The recent legislation that was passed on the 14th of January 2013, stating that taxi drivers must wear seat belts has increased the safety of taxi drivers however this has in turn made them vulnerable as it has lead to sacrificing the crucial few seconds a driver may need to exit the vehicle quickly when faced with a dangerous situation. Given that Taxi drivers work alone they are often targeted as they are unprotected and accept passengers without being aware of the passenger’s attitude to violence, thus placing the taxi drivers at constant risk of harm.

The undersigned petitioners therefore ask the Legislative Assembly to:

The introduction of safety barriers or other safety systems that can be used to remove risk to taxi drivers. These safety barriers can be in the form of grills (or any other suitable material) separating the front seats from the back seat, thus allowing only room for 3 passengers into a taxi similar to the method adopted in United States.

OR

A review into the safety of seat belt use for taxi drivers by either making the use of seat belts by taxi drivers an option and not a mandatory law

OR

De-legislation of the law requiring the mandatory use of seatbelts by taxi drivers, passed on the 13th of January 2013.

PETITION BY: DARIUSH SHIRMOHAMMADI