©SSHCP09
Press Release
Q-SAFE TAXI MARSHAL SCHEME SAFE FOR NOVEMBER
The Safer St Helier Community Partnership is celebrating securing a sponsor for the Q-Safe Taxi Marshal scheme for the month of November, following recent media coverage of the shortfall in funding.
Local commercial and construction recruitment consultancy, Grafters, has pledged the money required to ensure that the scheme continues to operate on Friday nights throughout November. Before Grafters made the donation, the Safer St Helier Community Partnership was forced to take the decision to reduce the Q-Safe scheme to Saturday nights only throughout November for the first time since the scheme's launch in 2008.
'We play a role in the local community in placing candidates in employment but we also have a deeper community responsibility to contribute to groups in the island which provide much needed and often under funded services. The Safer St Helier Community Partnership runs an excellent Q-Safe Taxi Marshal scheme which has greatly improved the safety of individuals seeking a late night taxi from the Weighbridge area and were delighted to help the organizers with their funding shortfall,' said James Baker, Managing Director, Grafters.
The aim of the Q-Safe Taxi Marshal scheme is to provide supervision for the late night taxi queues at the Weighbridge, in order to minimise queue jumping and associated disorder with a view to making residents and visitors feel safer.
The scheme has been a spectacular success, exceeding the expectation of travellers and taxi drivers and reducing levels of crime and disorder by 64 per cent in two years. It won the St Helier Social Responsibility Award in 2008 and has received recognition by the National Community Safety Network in the UK.
Colin Russell Chair of the Safer St Helier Community Partnership
said, 'I am absolutely delighted that Grafters contacted us and offered
the funding required for the scheme to continue operating on Friday nights
throughout November. We have had amazing feedback with regards the effectiveness
of the scheme from taxi drivers, users of the service, States of Jersey
Police and those that operate businesses in the vicinity of the Weighbridge.'
Meanwhile if any organisations wish to make a contribution
to the Q-Safe Taxi Marshal Scheme or wish to advertise their company on
taxis please contact Colin
Russell