Private hire technology business Veezu is bringing a partnership with charity Stamp Out Spiking to Cardiff.
Following a successful pilot in Norwich, which raised £6,000 for the charity in July, the initiative is being introduced in Cardiff this month. It will then expand to other key university cities across the UK, including Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Sheffield, Portsmouth, and Hull.
As the first initiative of its kind in the UK private hire sector, the national rollout will introduce anti-spiking guidance for driver-partners working with Veezu. Developed in collaboration with Stamp Out Spiking, the guidance is designed to give driver-partners the skills and confidence to spot the warning signs of spiking and respond appropriately, strengthening passenger safeguarding.
With students returning to campuses and the night-time economy across the country, Veezu is also calling on licensing authorities to make accredited anti-spiking training a mandatory part of the licensing process, creating a single, consistent safety standard for the private hire sector nationwide.
Veezu is the first private hire operator to partner with Stamp Out Spiking, the national charity dedicated to ending substance-facilitated harm through prevention, education, victim support, and policy change. Founded by long-time campaigner and educator Dawn Dines, the charity delivers specialist training for frontline professionals, leads nationwide awareness campaigns, and works closely with authorities to strengthen safeguarding standards and push for stronger laws.
This partnership forms part of Veezu’s wider commitment to student safety, complementing the company’s long-standing university-backed Safer Taxi Schemes. These schemes ensure that students can always access a trusted ride home, even in situations where they feel unsafe or vulnerable.
The rollout also marks a significant step for the wider PHV sector in addressing spiking, a growing public safety concern involving the non-consensual administration of substances, often leading to theft, assault, or sexual violence. Police data shows that more than 6,700 spiking incidents were reported between May 2022 and April 2023, with real numbers likely to be far higher due to underreporting.
Nathan Bowles, CEO at Veezu, said:
“Spiking is a hidden crime with devastating consequences, and we believe that transport providers have a responsibility to be part of the solution. Through our partnership with Stamp Out Spiking, Veezu is proud to lead the sector with this first-of-its-kind initiative, but lasting change requires action across the sector. That is why we are calling on licensing authorities to make accredited anti-spiking training a national standard. Safety must be non-negotiable, and embedding this training will ensure that every journey – from a student ride home to a family trip across the city – is as safe as it should be.”
Dawn Dines, founder and CEO of Stamp Out Spiking, added:
“It’s fantastic to see Veezu taking the lead by collaborating with Stamp Out Spiking on this pioneering initiative. Taxi drivers are key to noticing when someone has been spiked, and their intervention can make all the difference to future safeguarding. By equipping drivers with specialist training, we are embedding vital safeguarding into every journey home.”
