AWARENESS is what matters. By this I mean a centripetal and not a centrifugal approach in the first instance.  Simply put, I am speaking of an awareness that starts from inside of you as a human being first and foremost and which spreads outward to our environment or surroundings.  Not that which starts from outside – material gains or money – and which you internalize.  This is the psychological or mental empowerment that will determine the value you place on your life, job, vehicle, business and loved ones.
Once you begin to look into yourselves and understanding who you really are and what you stand for, you are beginning to kindle and/or strengthen your values as human beings and as Taxi Drivers.  You are establishing essential moral and ethical values knowing that inside of you there is something ultimately greater than the material takings of the job; something much greater than the temptations to become greedy and something that can save your life.  It is you who will have to make the choice of moralilty over greed or commonsense over “tekin” a chance.
Put all of the above together, it boils down to how you value yourself as a human being, respect for self and the financial security of family and society at large.  These are fundamental tenets that can fortify you against the temptations of the greatest evil, and yet the greatest goods as perceived by our minds – money and more money! It all starts with the mind, hence, the opening focus. I want to vividly drive this home; to let it be imprinted in your brains. Your safety and the security of your loved ones are in your hands.
And now for the centrifugal awareness which begins from the outside and which in most cases is manifested mainly in the failure to recognize the dynamics of security in a changing socio-political and economic environment. Big words! All I am saying is that things keep changing all around us each day. Yet in our mental construct we remain the same, driven by an almost vulgar dependence on others and an equally negative attitude when it comes to investing in our security.  And even if, and when we do recognize the need for change, the concomitant will does not follow or we seek comfort in highly publicized, but ineffective approaches. We are caught in the revolving cycle of failure that is inevitable, we blame others for our predicament or look for scapegoats. We continue to do “business as usual,” all in the name of making money while being blind to the changed circumstances and dangers therein! I call it the “penny wise: pound foolish syndrome.”
Putting myself in the role of a Taxi Driver, I ask what can I do to minimise the possibility of being “car-jacked?” A response, crystallized from an experience I had while in Caracas, Venezuela en-route to Argentina in 1988 for a World Federation of Democratic Youth Conference – A team of Police officers impressive in their size, all dressed in black and armed to the teeth with no less than three visible weapons of various caliber each randomly stopped people who were required to show some form of identification.  Based on what I saw, every individual stopped had some form of identification to show.
Can the same be applicable here in a different form without police, guns or black clothes? Can I assume the role of security officer to secure my life? Why can I not ask my would be passenger/s whether I am picking them from a night spot, house or they come up to me for a hire, to show me some form of identification with photograph, name, address, etc and then transmit that information to my Base which would include the intended destination even if the request was initiated from the Base? Why should anyone be annoyed at such a simple request? The only fear here would be one premised on greed before security – that of losing my would-be passenger/s to another service and hence loss of income. Reasonable argument! However, in the interest of collective security, if all Taxi Services are to put in place these as standard requirements (especially for night hires) from passengers, it will work. It will prevent murder, death, carjacking and injuries.
Presently you do not have any form of security.  Once your passengers are seated in your vehicle you are at their mercy. If they intend to rob or kill you, or steal your vehicle, there is practically nothing you can do, unless you are a quick thinker who is willing to take risks like fighting back with two or three would-be bandits, (patterns established shows quite often they work in teams of twos or threes and are armed), driving your vehicle into a trench, stopping among a crowd or in a well lit area and run away with your vehicle keys, driving  into a Police Station, etc, if the opportunity avails itself. That leaves us therefore, with one option – prevention from the very beginning, even before they enter your vehicle. And that is where the use of a metal detector which can be limited to night use when carjacking is most likely to occur comes in handy! In this way no one comes into your vehicle armed thereby inreasing your chances of surviving an attack.
There are always ten to fifteen (or more maybe) of you awaiting passengers at any hire car park. Such a device can be purchased by the collective and used individually by each one of you. As one driver secures his passengers, he hands over the device to another who hands over to another and this continues. Such a mechanism will instantly inform you if your passengers are in possession of any form of weapon, whether knives or guns, thereby allowing you to make life saving decisions. Remember most, if not all of you do not have sophisticated electronic gadgetry in your vehicle such as bullet proof glass separation, kill switch, etc.  You therefore have to be innovative. You need to be organized and standardized your approach, work out distress signals, etc. Who else but you are best situated to do so?
Distress signals, alarms, horns, anything that can make instant, explosive and continuously loud noise and attract immediate attention can be extremely useful also. Car-jacking parasites, like the rest of their kinds are weary of any response that attracts attention. Silence is their greatest aid. Shatter that and you shatter their game plan, significantly increase their stress level, induce immediate fear and conflicting thought processes – between robbing you and escaping.  You are waging a psychological war with your enemies. They use the presence of the weapon; you use the absence of silence, the weapon of noise.
Hire Car Drivers are known for their dexterity at networking. Just see how their lights or hands are working after passing a road block or traffic police with a radar gun, warning other drivers that the Cops are ahead. Do the same for yourselves. Share information about passengers in your pool – whether you are outside Bourda, Big Market, Timehri, Ogle, Hotel Tower or which ever location you are situated. Work out solutions and approaches that are acceptable by all Taxi Services.   Once implemented, you will be alerted of acts of criminality almost immediately. Be your brother’s keeper. Competition ought not to make you blind to your collective responsibility, hence collective security.
Competition or greed ought not to blind your judgment also. I see nothing wrong in asking to be paid before passengers enter your vehicle, particularly with night hires. In this way you have no need to wait for payment. You stop; they are out of your vehicle, and you are gone. No delay!
Let them inform you from the beginning of their final destination.  You make your policy very clear that you are not diverting to pick up anyone else on the way and you are not stopping. (This is the favourite ploy. They hire you to pick up a friend in some out of the way area, or suddenly change destination and by the time you realise you are trapped.)
Know the geography of where you are going, lonely places along the route which you will want to avoid – dead ends, sparsely populated areas. Populated areas, police stations or outposts, etc – places where you can quickly seek refuge or get assistance. Always have in your possession the phone numbers of police stations in the various areas. Keep your cell phone on your body and not somewhere in your vehicle. This can come in very handy. It may save your life and your vehicle, and in all you do, remember, in spite of what may have been your experience, the police are not your enemy. Call them immediately if you can.
By now you would realize I am not allowing myself to be fettered by conventional thinking or tunnel vision that keeps me within the confines of the box. As security personnel, we have to be constantly aware of changing trends and patterns and respond accordingly, and expect professional outcomes. You therefore, will have to come together, honestly look at both the personal and external factors and work towards finding solutions. I am only lighting the torch, you will have to pave your way, accept what you may and discard what is not useful. Have a safe hire.