The attacks on women have made many women afraid to get into a taxi

Pat McCarthy of Unison

The city's 500 hackney cab drivers have reported that people are shunning all taxis after publicity about investigations into alleged sex attacks on women by cab drivers.

The campaign organised by the drivers' trade union, uses the slogan 'If it is not black and white, and does not have a light it is not a taxi'.

Three men have been charged with raping a sixteen-year-old girl, and another man has been charged with indecent assault in a separate case.

In the past year there have been allegations of 11 separate sex attacks on lone women who have used taxis to get home.

Terry Evans of the Hackney Drivers' Association said there had been a drop off in the numbers of women hiring taxis following the alleged assaults.

There have been 11 reported attacks in the city

"Young women are tending to arrange lifts back from town," he said.

"I am hoping that these cards will be something that people will look at and take note of the tips."

A women's safety partnership is also being organised by Pat McCarthy of the trade union Unison.

"The attacks on women have made many women afraid to get into a taxi - but the bone fide taxi services of Cardiff are registered and safe."

"What is important is that women realise the difference between someone who is pretending to be a taxi, who is not registered, and the real thing."