DJ fears for women’s safety in taxi crisis
A DJ fears for women’s safety due to a shortage of taxi drivers caused by the pandemic – after she was harassed walking home from work in the early hours of the morning.
Rosie Shannon, 29, performs under the name AISHA and has DJed in nightclubs in Berlin as well as recently joining as a resident at Sub Club in Jamaica Street, Glasgow.
When she returned to work in September, Rosie found she was unable to get a taxi at all and walked home with a pal – which she said was the scariest 40-minute journey of her life, or wait two hours for a cab.
She said she was repeatedly approached by men wanting to chat, and feels men should mediate their behaviour to make women less uncomfortable.
Rosie, pictured, said: “I finish at around 3am or 5am, depending on what time I’m playing at. When I was back in a club for the first time since restrictions lifted, I couldn’t get a taxi at all.
“I had to walk back with my friend and I’ve never been so scared for our safety before.
“During that walk, men were coming up to us in the street and trying to talk to us.
“We were phoning taxis and telling them ‘we’re scared, we’re in the street’ and they told us we’d need to walk home. “This was about 4am. “Every time I’ve had to walk home since it has been the same story and this is what I am hearing from my friends too.
“It’s a dangerous situation to be in. We would be on the other side of the street and men would come over and start speaking to us. It was disconcerting, if it’s friendly or not friendly, there’s just a heightened sense of anxiety. There are some streets we know not to go down because they are not well-lit.”
Police Scotland often appeal for information after women have been attacked inside lanes from the main streets in the city centre.
In Edinburgh, an organised buddy system, Strut Safe, has been set up to arrange for a vetted volunteer to walk women home after a night out and a hotline is manned so people can call for help if they need it.
It was set up following the murder of Sarah Everard, 33, in March by a Met Police officer.
Rosie added: “Everyone involved is vetted beforehand so you know it’s someone safe who will come and help to take you home. It is a shame these things have to come about but at times like this, it is needed.” Dougie McPherson, Glasgow Taxis chair, said: “The taxi trade in Glasgow was already under serious pressure and facing mounting challenges prior to the pandemic, Covid has only been the catalyst to exacerbate these issues. For the last three years we have been warning of an impending shortage of drivers.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “The issues facing the taxi and private hire trade are found far beyond Glasgow and also the influence of the licensing system..”