Taxi Driver Online

Police criticised for response time to taxi driver assault

TAXI drivers have criticised police for taking almost 30 minutes to respond to 999 calls reporting an assault on a cabbie. Phoenix Taxis driver Steve West was attacked in his cab by two men outside The Crown pub in Perry Street, Northfleet, on April 24.

Police received reports of the assault at 10.38pm but did not arrive at the scene until 11.05pm, which was after the assault had finished, despite North Kent police station being just a five-minute drive away.

The chairman of United Taxi Group (UTG), a union which represents cabbies in Gravesham, has spoken out against the police response and said it was “simply not good enough”.

Terry James, 57, said: “We were staggered to learn it took 30 minutes for a police patrol vehicle to arrive at the scene just half a mile from the new police station. “This was after no less than four 999 calls and a local takeaway hitting its panic alarm linked to the police station.”

Gravesend taxi driver Gian Chand Bajar was murdered by passenger Luke Aujila in May 2007 after a dispute over a fare, and CCTV was installed in almost all taxis in the borough as a result.

Mr West did not suffer serious injuries in the assault, but Mr James said he “could have been killed” in the time it took officers to respond and he is worried police consider CCTV a “replacement for immediate action”.

Kent police Chief Inspector Pete Ayling said: “At the time the call came in, there was a high volume of other calls. “A patrol was immediately dispatched to the scene but, while on the way, was diverted to another call which involved potential serious or life-threatening injuries and so was made a priority.

“Another patrol was instead dispatched to Perry Street. “North Kent police station is not very far away from Perry Street, but patrols are rarely simply sitting at the station waiting to be dispatched, especially on a Friday night.”

Two men have been charged in relation to the assault on Mr West. Stephen Richardson, aged 33, of Greenhill Road, Gravesend, and Gavin Clark, aged 20, of Snelling Avenue, Northfleet, are both charged with affray and assault causing ABH.

The men will appear at Dartford Magistrates’ Court on June 19.

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IDFIMH

SAME OLD STORY "ANOTHER MORE URGENT" CALL.how many times has this been troted out when critisism is leveled against any police force when the attack is against either taxi or private hire drivers. Surely the same response should be given as is for bus /train drivers.I have often wondered what the control room recording records would reveal in an enquiry into any assault being reported

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GMB PDB London Branch President
Vice-chair National Organising Committee
07956-884076
www.gmbpdb.org.uk
AFFORDABLE CCTV FOR EVERY LICENSED DRIVER
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I remember a few years ago when one of our lads got stabbed in the leg, he phoned the coppers on 999, they didn't turn up after 25 minutes, he phoned them again, they told him to go to the local Police station. Off he went to the Police station where he waited 45 minutes for someone to come and see him, the Police station was closed.