On behalf of the Falmouth Taxi Owners' Association, I would like to respond to the Skipper's article regarding taxi drivers in the Truro and Falmouth area.

I would like to know why taxi drivers have been singled out for this article? There are many people that have to undergo these same checks, some of whom deal with far more vulnerable members of society than us. Added to this are organisations that deal with vulnerable people who have no checks of any sort carried out at all, perhaps he might care to take a look at these.

If the Skipper had taken a little more time and effort to find out the details regarding Carrick's licencing procedures he would have discovered that all taxi drivers in their area undergo a rigorous vetting system which involves being checked by the Criminal Records Bureau, and far from the result being ignored, they are then looked into on an individual basis and set guidelines are followed to determine whether the applicant is granted a licence. Carrick acted correctly according to Data Protection in not disclosing any information to a newspaper.

It was also stated that councils take risks with public safety. Do you honestly think that is true? Have we had any incidents where passengers have been mugged or assaulted by taxi drivers? I think that you are far more likely to find that the reverse is the case, especially in the wee early hours of the morning when the Skipper is safely tucked up in bed!

Perhaps he's considering a career with one of the national tabloids where he will be able to use his scaremongering headlines to his heart's content.

B E Wright, secretary, Falmouth Taxi Owners' Association