TERROR TIMES
“I’M SCARED TO DO MY JOB” - FIGURES SHOW HUNDREDS OF WEST MIDLANDS CABBIES ATTACKED
Hundreds of taxi and private hire drivers are being attacked in the West Midlands every year, with shocking new figures proving what a dangerous job it can be. Defenceless drivers have been robbed and beaten in a series of frightening attacks. Data from West Midlands Police (WMP) showed how drivers often risk their safety just to do their jobs and provide for their families. Between January 2018 and March 2021 there were a total of 901 attacks involving cabbies recorded by the force. And, as police don’t always record details of a victim’s occupation, it’s possible there could have been many more. In 2019, there were 334 incidents
recorded,
almost one every day on average, illustrating the shocking scale of vio- lence towards drivers. That was a rise from 276 the previous year. There was a drop to 236 in 2020 but the pandemic meant fewer people took taxi journeys that year. The figures, released by WMP, only went as far as March 2021. In the majority of cases, no-one was caught for the assaults, either because a suspect couldn’t be identified or a lack of evidence. There were also at least 168 cases
ASSAULT ON WAKEFIELD CABBIE - POLICE HAVE FOUND THIS MAN
Allegedly the police are saying as this is his first offence they want the cabbie to drop the case but he is refusing to do so. The incident was recorded on the dash cam of the car behind, but as yet the police have allegedly not collected any evi- dence and have told the cabbie that the passengers are now making a complaint against him... WHERE IS THE SUPPORT FOR OUR TRADE??
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where cabbies chose not to support prosecution. Last month, an Uber driver was robbed and beaten by a gang of vicious youths during a horrific attack in Bloxwich. That came after a driver was punched in the face on the A4540 Lawley Middleway in Birmingham in June. Earlier this year, cabbie Jamil Bashir told BirminghamLive he was considering quitting after being subjected to a shocking road rage attack in Acocks Green. “Is it worth it?”
he said. “If
something like this happens, I can’t get out of my cab because I could lose my licence. I’m now fearful of driving and that’s never happened before. “Since lockdown was lifted things have been really bad, I don’t know what’s wrong with people.” Imran Shafiq, chair of the Dudley Taxi Association, said attacks on drivers and customers refusing to pay is becoming an increasing concern. He said: “In Birmingham, it happens quite a lot, especially during the night. “A trend we’re seeing now is a lot of people not paying for taxis. They just get out and walk off and when a driver confronts them they either get verbally or physically abused. “They’re helpless. There is nothing really they can do. The police; sometimes they help, sometimes they don’t. They say (not paying) comes under bilking.” Mr Shafiq believes the cost of living crisis may be having an impact. He said: “Everyone is struggling and everyone is in the same boat though. Some people don’t care who they rip off.”
OCTOBER 2022 PHTM
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