Taxi Driver Online

Young woman abandoned by taxi driver late at night yards from where tragic Liam Toner died

The young woman was alone and being driven from Cleethorpes to Louth at 1.30am when she was told to get out when the taxi got as far as Holton-le-Clay. The 24-year-old told the Grimsby Telegraph she was terrified at being left in the middle of the night on a road she didn't know.

The Louth woman said she was panicking for over 20 minutes until a friend drove from Louth to pick her up. “I am trying not to think about what might have happened,” said the woman, who did not wish to be named. She added: “It was horrible. It was the middle of the night, dark and I did not know where I was.” She later found out it was on Louth Road, just yards from where Liam, 19, had fallen in a ditch after getting out of a taxi, miles from his home in Ulceby.

Members of Liam's family made the gruesome discovery when they had carried out a 24-hour search for him when he failed to return from a works’ night out in Cleethorpes on December 17.

The Louth woman told how she was with a group of friends and had booked a taxi in Cleethorpes to take them home at 3am on Sunday. But she decided to leave around 1.30am and spoke to a number of taxi drivers at a rank on the High Street.

She said: “I had had enough and wanted to get home. I approached a few drivers and this one said he could take me to Louth. He knew where I wanted to be and I told him several times I had plenty of cash to pay him. “But when we got to the lights at Holton-le-Clay, he told me to get out. I think he thought I didn’t have enough money, but I told him I had the fare. He was quite abrupt.”

She said the taxi was red and the driver was middle aged. But she can’t recall any other details of the driver. She added: “I was panicking about how to get home. I had to use my phone to find out the location where I was. I called a number of friends. One came from Louth and took about 20 minutes.

“All I want to do is find out who the driver works for. They have a duty to care for their passengers. You get in a taxi and place your trust in them. You hear about people being kicked out because they are sick in the taxi. But I don’t understand why he would kick me out I told him I had plenty of money.”

The woman said: “It is a concern that this could happen. It was on the same road as the man died.” Humberside Police have told her it was not a crime and so will not be investigated.

After the death of Liam Toner, North East Lincolnshire Council, the licensing authority for taxi drivers issued a statement reminding taxi drivers of their responsibilities. The woman in this case was not intoxicated. But the advice to drivers is to take intoxicated passengers to a safe place.

It is estimated there are around 500 taxi drivers working in North East Lincolnshire. North East Lincolnshire Council provides training for all taxi drivers applying for a licence and each driver must complete a set qualification. Each driver has a duty of care to their passengers, and issue advice around dealing with intoxicated passengers.

Speaking at the time, the council spokesman added: “The council takes complaints of misconduct against drivers very seriously and has revoked drivers' licences in the past following such complaints.”

A council spokeswoman said: “If anyone has a complaint about a driver registered with North East Lincolnshire Council, they can let us know by emailing licensing@nelincs.gov.uk or calling 01472 326299.”

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IDFIMH

And the moon is made out of cheese.

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IDFIMH

So the driver didn't ask for money up front, drove her 5 miles, then chucked her out without asking for any money and she didn't offer him any money, even though she claimed to have enough.



So didn't know where she was, then gives the impression she knows the area.

Looks like quite a straightforward route on the map, and she isn't suggesting that he took the wrong route or anything like that.

Mum of tragic Liam Toner talks of her 'absolute disgust' after young woman kicked out of taxi where her son died

Investigation launched by council officials after second incident of taxi passenger dumped in village in the middle of the night after night out in Cleethorpes

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news ... ks-1448857

The grieving mother of tragic teenager Liam Toner said she is “absolutely disgusted” a taxi driver dumped a female passenger out just yards from where her son died in a ditch.

Emma Hardy of Ulceby launched the search for her son when he failed to return from at night out in Cleethorpes.

He was found dead on Louth Road, Holton-le-Clay on December 17 after getting out of a taxi, 20 miles from his home.

Now a second incident in almost identical circumstances has taken place with a young woman told to leave a taxi at the same spot by a driver in the dead of night.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, told how she was told to get out of a taxi in the early hours of Sunday after asking the driver to take her to Louth.

She said she was left in the middle of the night in the dark on Louth Road, Holton-le-Clay.

Liam Toner’s mum, Emma gave her reaction to the second incident where a passenger was abandoned.

It came as North East Lincolnshire Council officials confirmed they were conducting an investigation to find the driver of the red taxi the woman had got into on High Street, Cleethorpes.

Each driver has to be licensed and NELC is the licensing authority.

Emma said she was shocked by a repeat of the incident which led to her son’s death.

“Something needs to be done. Even after Liam’s death taxi drivers are still dropping people off in the middle of nowhere. Taxi drivers should have a duty of care and the law needs to be looked at.

“Also people need to be more careful in getting into taxis off the streets and need to try pre-booking them, so they know exactly what company they are using.”

She added: “In my opinion you are just not safe getting into taxis anymore.

“In my eyes it is absolutely disgusting how this could even happen again. Anything could have happened to that young girl and people need to be more careful when using taxis.”

I mean it's common practice for drivers to chuck women out of their cabs for no reason.

Drivers chuck people out of the car for good reasons. But that doesn't make a good story for the press.

Better off the bint giving the big tale of woe.

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IDFIMH

She said that she approached several drivers before this chap agreed to take her. What did they know that this driver didn't?

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Grandad,

Sounds to me like mum is calling for the law to be changed to allow passengers the right to a free ride home

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Maybe the should have got in touch with the police over this Girls emergency...not to harangue the Taxi Driver but to have them take such vulnerable youngsters home.

Back in the Day I would as a concerned father go and Pick my daughter or son up after a night out if i thought they were in danger of of not getting home, seems our modern "Blame everybody else" parents are to busy to do such things themselves these days.

We provide a Public service...we are not an Emergency service.

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left

Another young woman taxi passenger is dumped in the street after night out in Cleethorpes

Another woman has been dumped in the street, alone and in the dead of night by a taxi after a night out in Cleethorpes. People trying to get home after a night out in the resort have been urged to go to taxi ranks rather than hail cabs from the street.

A woman got in a taxi around 1.30am on Sunday after friends looked after her so she could get home safe. But she was kicked out when she felt ill, and left by the roadside as the taxi drove off. The incident is the latest in Cleethorpes which has triggered concern about people being abandoned by taxis late at night before they have reached home.

Last week it emerged a woman was dumped in the street in Holton-le-Clay just yards where tragic teenager, Liam Toner was found dead in a ditch in December after being dropped by a taxi miles from his home Ulceby after a Christmas night out with workmates.

The 24-year-old taken in a red taxi, thinking she was getting a lift home to Louth. But the driver ordered her out of his taxi, despite her repeatedly telling him she had enough money to pay the fare.

Today a friend of the woman involved in the latest incident in Cleethorpes posted a message on Facebook alerting revellers to the incident. She said friends had got the young woman into a taxi and given the driver £10 to take her to her home in Humberston. But on the way at Hewitt's Circus she complained about feeling unwell and was kicked out by the driver and told to walk the rest of the way.

The friend said: "My friend was put in a taxi at around 1.30am on Sunday . She was put in the taxi in the Market Place Cleethorpes to be taken home to Humberston. Her house is near the Grosvenor pub. My other friend had given the taxi driver £10 to take her home. On the drive home the friend who was in the taxi had said she felt sick. She wasn't sick though.

"So the taxi driver pulled over and kicked her out at Hewitt's Circus and told her 'to walk from here' and did not give her her change. "It was around a 20 to 30 minute walk to her house. My friend was intoxicated but luckily enough she was able to know where she was going and aware enough to get home."

The friend said: "We rely on taxi drivers to get us home safe and sound. Not chuck us out where ever they want. Not all taxi drivers are like this but it is worrying to think that anything could have happened being on her own late and night and drunk. I have seen a few posts regarding this matter and it is scary."

Following the tragedy involving Liam Toner, 19, North East Lincolnshire Council, the licensing authority for taxi drivers, reminded them of their duty of care towards passengers. The advice to take intoxicated passengers to a safe place follows the tragic death of roofer Liam who had been in Cleethorpes on a works' night out before he was last seen getting into a taxi on Grimsby Road. He was discovered following a 24-hour search by his family on December 17.

A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesman said: “The council provides training for all taxi drivers applying for a licence and each driver must complete a set qualification. "We also stress that each driver has a duty of care to their passengers, and issue advice around dealing with intoxicated passengers. We recommended that drivers take intoxicated passengers to a place of safety where necessary."

Speaking generally, the spokesman added: “The council takes complaints of misconduct against drivers very seriously and has revoked drivers' licences in the past following such complaints.”

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IDFIMH

In other words she said she was going to spew up and the driver took a very sensible decision to make her walk.

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IDFIMH

Best advice a Council can give to a driver,do not pick up an intoxicated person this is a reasonable excuse for refusal,suspect a danger to driver and vehicle.

The Up-chucker brigade get short thrift from me, I'd rather say no and lose the fare than take them and have them throw up in the car, and if they paid for the return trip on the outward journey then they'll can get it back and find some other mug to take them home.

It's better to forfeit a twenty quid fare than have your vehicle spoiled and off the road.

I don't agree with yoiu here. The time to refuse was before she got in the car. Once you have accepted the fare I think you should complete the journey. If someone says they are going to be sick then stop the cab and let them out to be sik but don't then abandon them.

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Grandad,

Agree with both of you in a way - all depends on the precise circumstances. Rarely get to hear driver's side of the things when stories like this are featured in the press, and you can bet your bottom dollar their take will be at least a tad different to the complainant's.

I mean, you say that if someone's says they're going to be sick then stop the car - if only things were always that easy!!