SHAME SHAME
DRIVER FOR ABC TAXIS IN NORWICH CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
A Norwich taxi firm has stressed that customer safety is its “number one priority” after one of its drivers, Alexandru Tapurin, 35, was charged with three counts of sexual assault. He was also charged with false imprisonment and causing a woman aged 16 or over to engage in a non-penetrative sexual activity between January 20 and 21. Tapurin was a driver-partner with ABC Taxis which was taken over by Veezu in November 2022. ABC Taxis issued a statement saying: “The company can confirm
that it acted swiftly when it became aware of these allegations. “The self-employed driver-partner, was removed from the booking system and reported to the local authority. “Every
ride on the system is
tracked door-to-door so once a booking is made, passengers can see the details of the driver-part- ner and the vehicle registration. “All driver-partners undergo an enhanced DBS check,
under-
scoring the paramount import- ance placed on the safety of
passengers. “Due to the current legal pro- ceedings, the company is unable to provide any additional com- ments at this time.” Norfolk Police said Tapurin was arrested on Sunday morning, 21 January, and taken to Wymond- ham police station for questioning. He was subsequently charged and appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Tuesday, being kept in custody ahead of his next court appearance on February 20 at Norwich Crown Court.
BEDFORD CABBIE SACKED AFTER HOSTAGE ACCUSATION INVOLVING WOMAN AND HER BABY
A Bedford cabbie has been sacked and reported to the council’s licensing department after he was accused of holding a female passenger and her baby ‘hostage’. On Saturday, 13 January, a young mum from Kempston had booked a cab from A1 Taxis to take her and her baby daughter to a doctor’s appointment in Putnoe. After the baby was slightly sick on the car seat, the unnamed driver told her she would have to pay the fare plus a £60 fine. According to the woman he then contacted his control room and was told to pull the car over. The driver stopped at Bury Court, near Goldington Green and locked her in his cab. Speaking to
the Bedford
Independent, the passenger said she was in the taxi for around an hour in total, during which time
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the driver made her feel terrified. Fearing for her safety, she called 999 and a call handler spoke to the driver and got him to release her and her child but decided it was a ‘civil dispute’ and did not deploy officers to investigate. The passenger says the call hand- ler asked her to get back in the car. “I am utterly devastated with Bedfordshire Police,” she said. “I feel let down that they didn’t send anyone to help me and didn’t contact me afterwards to check if I was ok.”
In a phone call to her, the victim claimed an officer apologised for the failings of the force and said that the call handler should have sent someone out. She has now given a full statement to the police and lodged a formal complaint. A spokesperson for A1 Cars said they were taking the matter seriously.
“We want to sincerely address the recent incident involving a customer and the conduct of the driver and controller,” said the spokesperson. “The driver’s
actions were
unacceptable, and he has been dismissed and reported by A1 Cars to the licensing department at Bedford BC, which has the authority to revoke his licence. “The contoller has received a formal warning regarding the way the situation was handled and will undergo further training to ensure they handle future situations with the care and professionalism. “We regret this incident occurred and are committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure such an incident does not happen again. “We pride ourselves on providing a safe, respectful and reliable service for all passengers of A1 Cars.”
FEBRUARY 2024 PHTM
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