In Leicester, England, child sexual exploitation has become a fairly significant problem. In response, the council has introduced a mandatory measure that would require taxi drivers to take a sexual exploitation awareness course. This would help them to spot warning signs so they could notify police if something appears suspicious.
While most of the drivers are in favour of this, some have expressed that policing their customers is not part of their job description:
“My job as a taxi driver is to take people from A to B, not investigate their lives.”
Taxi driver in Leicester,
Quoted in the Leicester Mercury
If the proposal goes through, cab drivers who refuse to take the course could have their licenses suspended.
Read the full article here.
Our Take:
- There are some professions that come into contact with trafficking victims more than others. For example, hospital emergency room staff, cab drivers, and hairstylists should be aware of warning signs, as a victim is very likely to come into contact with at least one of them during the time they are being exploited.
- While most cab drivers themselves would not actively be engaged in human trafficking (or other forms of exploitation), they may unknowingly facilitate it unless they know what to look for.
- The cab drivers who are concerned about this proposal probably fear that they will eventually be asked to “be the eyes and ears” of the police for many other things too, like drug dealing for example.
- This is an example of how fighting sexual exploitation – when it actually affects the lives of everyday people – can come up against some hurdles. It also reveals what we value as a society.
