London Taxi Drivers Being Trained to Help Harassment Victims
A new campaign has been launched to help train London taxi drivers identify and assist with passengers who have been the victim of harassment.
Stop Hate UK – a 24-hour anti-hate crime helpine service – has teamed up with taxi provider Freenow to launch an initiative that will see taxi drivers receive special training to support passengers and protect themselves from perpetrators.
It comes as the charity claims a rise in reports of antisemitism, Islamophobia and homophobia in the nation’s capital city, according to the BBC.
More than 21,000 instances of hate crime were reported in London between September 2024 and August 2025, though this was down 17.4% compared with the previous 12 months.
Victims of abuse often gravitate towards using taxis as a means of getting around so as to avoid public transport where they could be targeted.
It is hoped the scheme will give taxi drivers the insight they need to sensitively check on the welfare of a passenger who may be visibly distressed.
Brian McDonough, 59, a taxi driver with Freenow from Twickenham in West London said the training is needed.
"It makes the drivers aware of what to do in a situation that maybe they've not been in before, or they've been in before, but not dealt with it," he told the BBC.
"The training involved assessing passengers as they got in the vehicle, especially women and vulnerable people that may have been the victim of harassment while they were out on the street, or had been followed by somebody at the station."