Taxi Driver Online

This is York

September 26, 2007 Wednesday

York cabbie in knife terror

A CABBIE today called for the return of a special crime-busting partnership between drivers and police, after a late-night passenger threatened to stab him.

Mark Ebdon said three men in their 20s spilt take-away food in his car, and when he asked for money to cover the cost of cleaning it, they became aggressive and threatened him.

One of the men did hand over some money, but it was not enough to even cover the fare.

He said: "I had not seen a blade, but the fact that the threat of violence was there was enough to make me shut the doors and drive off."

Mr Ebdon had picked up the trio outside La Bodrum takeaway in Bootham, and taken them to the Tesco petrol station at Clifton Moor.

He said the men were all in their mid-20s and had been drinking, but did not seem intoxicated.

He said: "When we got to the filling station there was food all over the car and I asked them to pay something to cover me having to take the car off the road. One guy got offensive, saying ****ing this and ****ing that and having a go. Then one said he was going to start spilling blood and stab me."

Last month, The Press reported that Taxinet, a special anti-crime initiative between York cabbies, City of York Council and local police had been scrapped.

The system allowed drivers to instantly contact police should the need arise.

Mr Ebdon said today: "The fact something like that has existed and now has been withdrawn worries me a bit, because private hire and most taxi drivers do not have much security in them.

"We have no screens, and no way to protect ourselves, and by the time police get there the customers can have got away."

Police last month said Taxinet had been useful, and said they would support its continuation if "current issues" were resolved.

A spokeswoman said today that the situation had not changed since then.

A council spokeswoman said there was a need to address issues relating to communication between the three parties.
____________________________