Costly cab rides spark government crackdown
The government is slamming the brakes on asylum seekers using taxis for medical visits. From February, taxis will be off-limits except in rare, approved cases. This move follows a BBC exposé revealing outrageously expensive taxi journeys funded by the Home Office.
£15.8 million a year is wasted on taxi rides
Pricey cab trips. One passenger admitted to a 250-mile cab ride to a GP – a trip that cost the Home Office a staggering £600. Taxi firms even admitted to padding journeys to rack up fares. Drivers told BBC Radio 4 they sometimes drove hundreds of miles daily, often without passengers.
“I drove an average of 275 miles a day—half without any passenger,” said one driver known as Steve. “Some journeys were completely wasted. The system was open to abuse.”
Bus passes introduced, but taxis still racking up costs
Earlier reports found asylum seekers had bus passes for just one return trip a week, but taxis were still used heavily for doctors’ appointments. Drivers revealed hundreds of daily drop-offs from hotels to nearby surgeries, costing thousands each day.
Home Secretary vows to slash waste and abuse
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has slammed the reckless spending. She announced: “I am ending the unrestricted use of taxis by asylum seekers for hospital appointments, authorising them only in the most exceptional circumstances.”
Exemptions will be made for the disabled, chronically ill, and pregnant, but only with Home Office approval. The government blames costly contracts inherited from the previous Tory administration and wants asylum seekers to rely on public transport wherever possible.
