Action needed to regain passenger trust after "disco cab" rapist case, says taxi boss

The suggestion comes after private hire driver Terence Collins was sentenced to 16 years in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday afternoon following a trial in May.

He raped a 14-year-old girl in his taxi as well as a 20-year-old woman.

The court heard Collins, who drove a “disco cab” to attract young women, had molested the girl two years before attacking the woman.

Now taxi chief John Tye, who voiced concerns about recording equipment in vehicles when he attended a council licensing board meeting in June 2011, has pledged to make changes to ensure the horrific crimes are never repeated.

Mr Tye, chairman of the Bournemouth Taxi Trades Association said: “Collins’s sentence goes some way towards the severity of his crimes.

“Since his conviction the trade has considered how this horrendous situation can be improved in the future.

“There have been mistakes which must now be rectified.

“In order to regain the trust of the travelling public there has to be a partnership created between the public, the council and the trade to ensure greater vigilance in public protection.

“In 35 years in this trade there has been the only prosecution of this kind that I can recall, one too many, but only one.”

Collins worked for Boscombe-based Star Radio Cars and held a private hire licence from 2002 until March last year.

Both his victims were forced to relive their ordeals in court because he denied his vile crimes.

Their courage was praised by police, prosecutors and members of the taxi trade.

After the trial, senior Crown prosecutor Julia Woodward described Collins as “every woman’s worst nightmare”.

Ashley Miller, chairman of Bournemouth Station Taxi Association, said: “He has disgraced our trade, not only in Bournemouth but nationally.”

He said Collins was a “monster” after “the ordeal that he has put two young women through”.

“Theirs is and always will be a life sentence,” he added.