Taxi and private hire drivers are being asked to stay alert to passengers who may be facing criminal exploitation. TaxiPoint reports that Bolsover District Council’s Licensing and Enforcement team is sharing County Lines awareness guidance with licensed drivers.
The focus is safeguarding: noticing concerning situations during routine journeys and passing information to the appropriate authorities.
What is County Lines?
The National Crime Agency describes County Lines as drug distribution between areas using dedicated phone numbers or “deal lines”. Criminal networks can coerce children and vulnerable adults into moving drugs or money. They may also take over a vulnerable person’s home, a practice known as cuckooing.
What might a driver notice?
The report highlights passengers who seem frightened, do not know where they are going, or have another person controlling their journey. Requests for secrecy, instructions to avoid police, or packages whose contents are unknown can also raise concerns.
Crimestoppers’ transport guidance identifies additional patterns, including a young passenger appearing uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, repeated visits to a potentially exploited address, and one customer controlling another.
These observations are not proof of an offence. Consider the circumstances together rather than making an accusation based on a single behaviour. A person caught up in drug activity may themselves need protection.
How to report a concern safely
- Immediate danger or a crime happening now: call 999.
- For non-emergency police concerns, call 101.
- To give crime information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Where it is safe, useful details include the date and time, journey locations, what you actually observed, and relevant vehicle details. Share concerns through official reporting channels. Do not confront suspected offenders or attempt your own investigation.
For drivers, the practical message is to remain observant while putting personal safety first. A factual report can help authorities decide whether someone needs safeguarding.
Sources and further reading
This original Fare101 summary is based on TaxiPoint’s report by Perry Richardson. Background and reporting contacts were checked against the National Crime Agency’s County Lines guidance and Crimestoppers’ transport guidance. Sources checked on 10 October 2026.