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Taxi bosses have pledged to help firms fit closed circuit television in their cars to safeguard cabbies and customers. If follows the brutal killing of taxi driver Mahmood Ahmed, 36, who was stabbed to death and dumped in a lonely rural lane.
The father of six was last heard from as he agreed to pick up a fare in Oakworth Road, Keighley on Monday, at about 10.30pm. His body was found the following day at 7.23am in Slack Lane, Oakworth. His cab was discovered ten hours later three miles away in Maize Street, Ingrow, Keighley.
John Meiehofer, a director of Keighley Metro in Church Street, Keighley, said his private hire firm, which employed 70 cabbies, had been pressing for CCTV for some time. "This terrible killing has just brought it home how vulnerable taxi drivers are. We feel that CCTV should be compulsory in cabs "We want to see safety levels increased dramatically and to do that we need CCTV and also the backing of Bradford Council which provides the licences.
"They could make it a condition of the licence that CCTV is fitted. Buses have cameras so why not taxis? We are more vulnerable because we are in close proximity to customers and we work 24 hours a day, seven days a week." They had looked at the cost, which was likely to be about £1,000 a cab, which would provide a camera looking out along the road and one focusing inside.
He called on Bradford Council to consider the possibility of allowing taxis to have advertising on the bodywork to help raise revenue to offset the cost. Last spring his company carried out a survey on the number of threats, attacks and verbal abuse relating to five cabs over a 60-day period.
There were 130 incidents, including 25 threats or acts of intimidation, one incident of being spat at, two drivers were struck, a taxi door kicked and a windscreen wiper deliberately broken.
Councillor Graham Mitchell, of Keighley Town Council's watch and transport committee, said it backed the call for CCTV. "The appalling murder of this poor man makes you realise how very vulnerable taxi drivers are they are out there working on their own." A Bradford Council spokesman said: "We would welcome cameras in taxis and would give all the help we could to support this move."
Police are appealing for help in tracing the killer and urge anyone who saw a man using a mobile telephone at the junction of Malsis Road and Oakworth Road, on Monday night, or saw a silver coloured Vauxhall Vectra in Ingrow Lane, about half and hour later, to contact them on (01535) 617167.
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