“We’ve suited up!”: Friday 19th April. Meeting with the Canterbury Council Taxi Licensing Officers about supporting Stop the Traffik’s ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ campaign- to be launched in Canterbury 2013-2014.
The meeting to get the council’s backing on launching Stop the Traffik’s ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ awareness campaign in Canterbury went exceptionally amazing. Once we explained the scale and variety of human trafficking in the UK and Kent, that it can happen through and around small cities; even Oxford and Canterbury and particularly the significance of our proximity to Dover; they were extremely supportive and we got all the aims we wanted out of the meeting, and more…
1) Canterbury council to endorse the campaign to give it more credibility. (Checking with their Legal office before official)
2) Distributing a sticker and leaflet into the welcome pack of every NEW taxi driver and cab that is licensed with the council (6-8 new a month) … starting from now – dropping off 100x stickers and accompanying information this week.
2b) OLD cabs that are getting their annual license renewed for the best longer term difference so the campaign and awareness is sustainable and it means that eventually EVERY cab will have a sticker (even the independents). Licensing Officer mentioned that it could be possible to make it a compulsory condition in taxi regulations (will have to check with legal).
3) Allow us to attend one of the Taxi Forums to inform taxi drivers and companies about the campaign. TAXI FORUM DATE: 22nd MAY . 40-60 drivers average in attendance and we can present about the campaign, set up a stall and distribute stickers to them to give to their drivers.
4) Supply us with a list of currently licensed taxi companies and independent drivers so we can make sure we cover as many as possible… didn’t get this totally because it’s over 700 cabs and x2 the amount of drivers, but as they will get a sticker when their license is renewed they will eventually be covered within 12-18 months. Aiming for 500/700 cabs if all goes well.
5) As this means we’lll need another 300-500 stickers in the long-term, we’re certainly need to get some external funding and/or more fundraising. One of the officers mentioned it might be something they could ask for funding for us from the council (a long shot considering the budget cuts, but it’s worth an ask). We’re going to speak to Kent Union if it’s possible to apply for a project fund of £200-300 from Volfed for the campaign for the committee next year.
6) Publish information about it in their newsletter and email blast that goes to everyone- We need to send them a press release ASAP.
7) Mentioned ways we could get more publicity e.g doing a taxi ‘wrap’ – so getting funding to have the campaign poster on the WHOLE of a taxi cab or one of the doors or getting a large door sticker produced- this type of advertisement is extremely expensive but lasts 12-18 months. We can also contact stagecoach about putting a poster in their buses.
7b) At the Taxi Forum on 22nd May to publicise that we have a website that we will be publishing all the taxi firms that are supporting this campaign with their phone numbers for their publicity. The sticker will be like the Fair-trade logo of the taxi world!
7c) We are getting another radio interview with CSR (University of Kent Radio) set up for end of May for publicity but also as a taxi company wants to pledge their support live on air. We will be contacting other local radio stations and particular local newspapers to spread the word of mouth.- Need a press release.
8) Help us get in touch with the licensing officer for Crawley which covers Heathrow and Gatwick airport to see if the campaign can spread to that area. Need to get in touch with Stop the Traffik to see if this is already happening and if not where funding can come from.
8b) The campaign can now spread to Medway now that we have Ashford, Canterbury, Thanet and I think Shepton and Folkestone on board, Maidstone/Sevenoaks & Tonbridge & Malling are also possibilities.
9) They recommended we contacted our local councillors as the elections are in a couple of weeks as well as speaking to our MP Julian Brazier and PCC Ann Barnes to weigh in on making Kent a Hostile area to traffickers. As former police officers themselves, the licensing officers agreed on how important it was to make it an issue that was a performance indicator for Kent Police for it to start to be taken more seriously. Research done recently by the Centre for Social Justice said, “there is more incentive to investigate a shed burglar” than to investigate human trafficking.
For more information on this campaign, check out the ‘Taxis against Trafficking’ page. For our contact information, ‘Does Human Trafficking really happen in and through Kent?’ and our events this academic year- check out our ‘About’ page.
UKC Against Human Trafficking 