Interesting and slightly odd comments below about the interaction between drivers/operators/police - I mean, presumably drivers can contact police directly if thought necessary?
If it was my motor, not sure that even here in a relatively safe part of Fife I'd be happy posing for photos like those at the bottom, particularly in view of the subject matter, and even in my relatively trouble-free area. And especially with those distinctive number plates
Black Country taxi chief reveals the dangers of life on the road as he details horrific incidents"He looked back and he could see him holding a machete"Those are the words of Minhaj Uddin, chair of the Private Hire Drivers Alliance who is a taxi driver in the Black Country, who described the dangers that private hire drivers face on a 'near daily basis'.
Talking exclusively to the Express and Star as part of our Silent Crime campaign about unreported and unpunished offences, Minhaj said that more needs to be done to stem the number of incidents that drivers face on their shifts, sharing with us the horrific incidents his friends and himself have experienced while at work.
"The driver picked the fair up, and it just all went wrong," Minhaj said, detailing an incident involving a bladed weapon.
"He saw him pull out this machete and – luckily the driver was experienced and level-headed. He stopped the car and managed to get the thief out."
The chairman said that while drivers face threats of violence 'on a daily basis', many incidents go unreported due to stringent operator rules and a lack of police response.
He said: "When an incident does happen, you have to report it to the taxi operator first and then it goes to the police, sometimes they just end up going unreported if they aren't deemed serious enough."Some of the drivers in the Alliance also feel that response times from emergency services are slower when the incident is against a driver. Yet if an incident involves a passenger, then there is an instant response."
Minhaj, who lives in West Bromwich, said that one incident saw a driver reverse into a cul-de-sac so that they could make a quick escape after a passenger started watching 'murder videos' while 'acting suspiciously'.
Minhaj said: "One of our drivers was taking a fare home.
"While he was driving the passenger started chanting and listening to murder videos, just acting really suspiciously. The driver was obviously very concerned.
"He actually reversed into the street in case he needed to make a quick getaway he could just speed off. Luckily nothing happened in this case, but there have been drivers who have been murdered while on the job."
In 2022, 59-year-old Anakh Singh was pronounced dead after being attacked while standing next to his taxi on Nine Elms Lane, Wolverhampton, over a mere £5.80 fare.
Another incident saw the death of 51-year-old Go Carz taxi driver Ishfaq Hussain, who died after crashing his vehicle while being chased by two men in Telford over claims he had 'upset' one of the men's girlfriends.
Minhaj said: "There just isn't enough being done to protect our drivers. Some drivers leave the house literally thinking it might be their last day. It shouldn't be like that. I actually stopped driving at night because it's just not worth it.
"We need more urgency and action over protecting private hire drivers. Drivers concerns need to be taken seriously so that they want to report crimes. More needs to be done."
Many councils have said that more efforts are being put into place to address the concerns of taxi drivers, with Walsall Council saying that they take the safety of drivers 'very seriously'.
Councillor Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council said: "The council is aware of the safety issues that drivers face and has taken various measures to protect them, including allowing CCTV cameras within their vehicles providing they meet the council’s requirements.
"The council is also willing to meet with the trade to discuss their concerns. Officers have also offered to send public safety messages to drivers through our text message or taxi newsletter communications if police colleagues or other services wish to take advantage of that.
"As one of the borough’s largest employers, the council takes the safety of its own employees very seriously and I would expect private hire companies to fulfil their own responsibilities in terms of keeping their workforces as safe as possible."
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