REVELLERS getting a lift home from clubs and pubs are to be offered free condoms in Birmingham taxis.
Erdington MP Sion Simon (Lab) has backed the scheme - saying it will reduce the spread of diseases.
Starting in December, drivers with Star Cars, one of the largest taxi firms in Birmingham, will offer condoms to passengers who ask for them.
They will be available after 10.30pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in a discreet black envelope, complete with a leaflet offering advice about sexually-transmitted diseases.
Mr Simon said: "Too often, people put their sexual health at risk by having unprotected sex when they find themselves without condoms.
"The idea behind this initiative is to make sure people have access to condoms when they may need them most; on their way home after a night out."
He added: "This initiative couldn't be more timely. It is estimated that as many as one in nine people may be carrying a sexual infection of some kind.
"Whatever the situation, people need to take responsibility for their own sexual health and that of their partner by always using a condom."
