Boris brings in 12-month instant ban for minicab touts

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Licensed taxi drivers caught touting for business will receive an instant 12-month ban. Mayor Boris Johnson also plans to double the size of the Cab Enforcement Unit from 30 to 60 officials.

The clampdown is a victory for London's legitimate minicab trade. In February the London Assembly said those caught touting three times would be stripped of their licence. But the London Taxi Board and London Private Hire Car Association said the plan was far too lenient. An LPHCA official said it was "like trying to put out the great fire of London with a water pistol".

The capital's 40,000 private hire drivers can only carry pre-booked passengers, but some are breaking the rules by touting on the streets. Unlicensed drivers, who are also uninsured, also routinely tout. Work by the Cab Enforcement Unit has led to more than 3,800 arrests for touting and a 46 per cent drop in cab-related sexual offences.