A new scheme to help late night revellers find their way home safely from Shrewsbury town centre has been hailed as a success.
Pubs and clubs in Shrewsbury have teamed up with the county’s largest taxi firm, Go Carz, to make sure vulnerable people can get a taxi home even if they have not booked one.
Members of the Safer Shrewsbury Pub Watch scheme said they wanted to further improve the safety of people who had visited the vibrant nightlife in Shrewsbury town centre. On occasion customers can become vulnerable and stranded in the town after being separated from their friends.
So a new initiative has been set up to give all door supervisors and bar staff a direct link to Go Carz to make sure they can get home.
Cindy Wilday, director at Go Carz, said the company was happy to provide the service.
She said: “Unless you have pre-booked a taxi it is very difficult to hail a vehicle late at night in Shrewsbury town centre, especially for those who have had a few too many to drink.
“By entering into this partnership with the Safer Shrewsbury Pub Watch scheme, we are committing to providing a taxi as quickly as possible when called by a member of staff from a pub or club.
“We launched the system in the run-up to Christmas and it worked well. Our drivers were called a few times over the festive period to make sure people got home safely rather than being left to wander the streets.
“The plan is to continue with this system for the foreseeable future.”
Richard Goodchild, Pub Watch scheme manager, said the initiative had been developed in response to concerns about people becoming vulnerable after drinking in the town.
He said: “It was reported to us that between 11pm and 1am in particular, there were people who had consumed too much alcohol who appeared to have been abandoned or got separated from their friends.
“They were trying to enter pubs and clubs but were being denied entry because they were in no fit state to continue drinking.
“The problem then is how do they get home? If they hadn’t booked a taxi they were effectively stranded in the town centre.
“So we thought it would be a good idea to have an agreement with a taxi company who could provide transport for these vulnerable people to get them home safely.
“Go Carz already has an excellent relationship with the largest venue in the town, The Buttermarket, where staff can call a priority taxi for customers in need, and we are delighted they have agreed to expand that service to all Pub Watch members.”
Meanwhile, Shrewsbury Street Pastors have just launched a Triage Vehicle which has trained medical staff on board so people suffering from the effects of too much alcohol can be treated in the vehicle rather than being taken to hospital for treatment.
Shrewsbury Street pastors are on the Pub Watch radio link so they will also use that link to call for a taxi to get people home safely.
GoCarz Staff
