Echoes of the leaf-kicking story from last week
Apart from the photo below of the lad and his mother, there's another *three* photos of him on the website, *and* a video
Funny too that the mother complained to the local PH association, but no mention of a complaint to the council
Boy's terror as taxi leaves him 'stranded in the dark' - but the driver says something different happened
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hu ... im-2287522
Shane Sibindi says he was told to 'pay the fare or get out of the taxi' - but the driver is alleging a very different version of events
Image: Pete Harbour/Hull Daily Mail
A teenage boy says he was left frightened and alone in the dark after being "stranded" by a taxi driver in east Hull.
Shane Sibindi, 13, said he had been at a party with friends in Holderness Road on Thursday, November 29, and after missing the bus, he and two girls shared a taxi home.
After his friends were dropped off in Bilton Grange, Shane asked the driver to take him to Longhill with the drop-off allegedly pre-planned as part of the booking.
However, the driver, who did not want to be named, said as it was not part of the booking he had to ask for the fare up-front with Shane claiming he was told to “pay the fare or get out of the taxi.”
The Marvell College pupil said: “He said give me the money or get out. I was angry and upset and it was scary. I rang my mum and then told her the situation and then went to my friend’s house and rang another taxi from a different service.
“I think he thought because I was a kid I would give him the money but I was the only one in the car and I didn’t know whether he was going to take me where I wanted to go.”
A different version of events
The 27-year-old driver, who works for 35 Taxis, has alleged a different version of events on the night which saw Shane get in a taxi with his friends from Subway in Holderness Road.
He says the group were “messing about” in the back of the taxi by trying to “kick his seat” and en route he was forced to stop the taxi to tell them to stop misbehaving.
He claims the taxi was only booked to drop the girls off in Wyvern Road and because Shane wanted to make an extra journey to Wansbeck Road he had to ask for the money up front.
“The taxi was only booked to Wyvern Road and I said ‘if you want me to take you to Longhill, who is going to pay the fare?’
“He didn’t say that his mum or dad was going to pay, he just said ‘take me to Longhill.’ I said by law we have to ask for money up front and he said he wanted to leave. He just opened the door and left of his own accord.
“He refused and left the car. I never told him to leave the car and I would never leave anyone on the road or in the street.”
Shane's mum's fury
Outraged by her son’s call to her on Thursday night, Shane’s mum Kiely Sibindi complained to 35 Taxis about the ordeal.
Mrs Sibindi says her son had the money ready to pay the taxi driver and insists the booking was made to drop off the girls in Wyvern Road and then take Shane to Wansbeck Road.
The 30-year-old said: “They left him stranded on Bilton Grange and I don’t drive so I was panicking. He was frightened and I went into shock – I didn’t know what to do.
“Luckily I managed to ring 706 Taxis who were able to divert one of their taxis to him to bring him home.
“I’m really angry that a taxi company as big as them have done something like that. You don’t expect them to do that, especially to a minor.
“I was so mad and I just think it’s disgraceful because anything could have happened to my son.”
Mrs Sibindi also reported the alleged abandonment to the Humber Private Hire Association (HPHA) which has raised concerns over these types of incidents happening “far too often” in the area in the past 12 months.
A spokesman for the group said: “We have been contacted by many people with regards to potential taxi drivers leaving children stranded which we find appalling.
“It is not acceptable and we are aware that Hull City Council is bringing a child safeguarding policy to be mandatory for all taxi drivers.
“The HPHA will be supporting Hull City Council in implementing this policy as mandatory.”
