Taxi Driver Online

Shocked mum in tears as taxi driver takes off with her three kids in school pick-up blunder

A mum was left in tears after a taxi driver suddenly drove off with her three children in a school run blunder.

Samantha had just placed seatbelts around her three girls, closed the cab's rear door and was making her way around to the passenger side when it took off.

She was left shocked and upset and claims it was 10 minutes before she saw the girls again.

She told YorkshireLive: "I was walking around the taxi when he drove off.

"I was shouting, panicking and crying."

The driver only realised his mistake after being contacted by the taxi office manager.

Samantha and her daughters were supposed to be heading home from school in Gomersal on Thursday afternoon when the incident happened.

It is believed the driver thought the mum had got in the back with the children.

The girls' stepdad Tomasz, 33, was so angry about what happened he phoned West Yorkshire Police.

He said the girls, aged 5, 6 and 7, had "frozen" and didn't tell the driver that mum wasn't in the car.

Tomasz called for the driver to be sacked for making an "unacceptable mistake."

A spokesman for Zenith Taxis, based in Cleckheaton, said the driver had made a mistake and had apologised.

"The driver has been working for 20 years and is an experienced driver with a clean licence.

"He's saying it's a mistake and one of those things.

"Quite understandably the parents are upset."

The spokesman said: "I am apologising for what happened. The driver is apologetic."

He said the driver had admitted feeling "terrible" about it.

"He was upset about it. He has children of his own. He is regretful."

The spokesman said the taxi had only driven about a half-mile.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said "no offences were disclosed" according to police logs.

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IDFIMH

The driver made a mistake, maybe a rather big mistake.

But the kids parents, who clearly have never made a mistake, want the driver sacked and prosecuted.

Clearly showing the Xmas spirit.

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IDFIMH

I had one ,many years ago when a driver asked a 13 year old girl to invite him in for coffee. I had the dad shouting down the phone demanding sacking . I said I would properly investigate but that wasn't enough he wanted immediate sacking on his say so!

I sat down with mum and daughter and went through the procedure of writing down the events on paper and submitting it to the council etc.

surprise surprise they wouldn't do it because then they would have to actually put their names to the complaint

Driver left after a stern talking to from me because he thought he was being unfairly treated even though there had been a previous complaint from another passenger and went to work elsewhere.

It was another 4 years before he lost his badge

Dad then went around the local pubs bad mouthing us for years

2 years later I came across the driver parked inside a school grounds where we used to do a school contract photographing children arriving at the school and the schools reaction we don't want to get involved you contact the police

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

Yes he made a mistake but the way the parents handled the situation may result in no taxi company wanting to pick them up again for fear of making a mistake.

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Grandad,