Violent Trend Leads to Taxi Murder

09/01/2010

Sadly stories of cabbies suffering abuse and violence in the course of their daily and nightly work continue to be reported on an all-too-frequent basis throughout last year.  As we reflect back on 2009, no issue could be more chilling than the tragic case of murdered Birmingham taxi driver, Mohammed Arshad.
 
Understandably, taxi drivers in Birmingham have since called for new measures to protect themselves, including security cameras, safety screens, a police hotline and a city-wide blacklist of violent customers.

200 private hire drivers, hackney taxi operators and union representatives met with police, licensing chiefs and city councilors following Mr Arshad’s brutal murder.  Mohammed, 36, was found seriously injured around 9pm on a summer’s evening.  He was rushed to hospital but died later from stab wounds to the head. 

Investigation

The taxi trade meeting held a minute’s silence in memory of the 36-year-old father-of-three.  Mr Arshad’s former employer, Steve Attwood, owner of A-Cars of Cotteridge, called on the police to do more, suggesting that taxi firms share intelligence on customers via a police liaison officer. 

He said: “Over the last three years we have compiled a blacklist of 596 names.  But we need someone to put our list out to other taxi companies and share this information so they don’t become a problem for someone else.”

Birmingham City Council head of taxi licensing, Pete Barrow, commented: “Safety is paramount and we’re hopeful that the police will work with us in order to alleviate cab driver’s fears.  Security cameras, safety screens and convex mirrors will all be allowed by the taxi licensing committee but cost is an issue.  We are looking to secure funding for at least a contribution to the cost of these measures.”

Rural Racism

Violence against taxi drivers isn’t just a problem faced by cabbies in our largest cities. 

Take the small community of Handsacre, north of Lichfield, in Staffordshire.  32 year-old cabbie Neshad Hussain feared for his life when a hail of missiles suddenly rained down on his cab after a group of youths refused to pay their fare.  Mr Hussain commented: "My life was put in danger – I was terrified and didn’t know what to do."  Fortunately he eventually escaped unharmed but the story could so easily have ended differently.

Mr Hussain says he picked up four young men and two young women in Lichfield around 2.00am.  First the group tried to underpay their taxi fair. Mr Hussain then received a torrent of racial abuse.  One of the men then reached in and stole his car keys and ran off. 

Mr. Hussain was brave enough to give chase and managed to recover his keys.  But after returning to his taxi his “passenger door window exploded" as heavy objects were hurled at the cab.

Mr Hussain's taxi was badly damaged and he has lost work as a result.

Bury Slasher

Meanwhile in Lancashire a Bury taxi driver now carries a permanent disfigurement after he was slashed across the face by a knife-wielding ‘passenger’.  Mohammed Ishtiaq required 28 stitches for his wound after the horror attack, which happened after he refused to hand over his takings.  Despite his injuries, the brave father-of-four tackled the knifeman and the struggle spilled out into the street.

Police later arrested a man near the scene of the incident.  Speaking to the Bury Times Mr Ishtiaq, recalled: “As I turned into Kingfisher Drive he suddenly said to me “give me your money or I’ll cut your face.”  When Mr. Ishtiaq said he had no money, he was brutally attacked, suffering slashes to his face and a cut to his hand, as he tried to fight off his assailant.  Mr. Ishtiaq spent the next four days in hospital.

Shocking Trend

Such incidents paint a disturbing picture of the growing wave of crime against the nation’s cabbies.  This trend is underlined by shocking new statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. 

Recorded crime statistics for the West Midlands point to a staggering five-fold increase in violent attacks on taxi drivers since 2000.  Over this period criminal damage soared from 76 to 362 incidents.

Last year cabbies in the region have suffered 23 robberies, 79 thefts, 113 incidents of criminal damage and 70 attacks on drivers. 

Change for 2010

Feedback from taxi driver and operator associations up and down the UK shows that the Midland’s figures are far from being an isolated trend.  It begs the question, when, oh when, will the authorities do something drastic to tackle this continuing wave of violence against Britain’s hard working cabbies? 

One thing is sure.  If more proactive protection for taxi drivers isn't brought in quickly, it is inevitable that more taxi drivers will fall victim to mindless violence in 2010.