Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver gets hit by stone thrown on Wakefield Road, Bradford


Image: Telegraph & Argus

TWO taxi drivers have spoken out after one of them was hit by a stone while driving on Wakefield Road in Bradford in the early hours of Saturday morning.

After dropping off a customer in Bierley, Bradford, taxi driver Sarfraz Khan was driving back into town on Wakefield Road at 2.35am on Saturday when he was hit by a rock thrown from near the Winston Churchill pub by someone who he believed was a youth.

The stone, which looked like a piece of concrete with sharp edges, was thrown from across the road and travelled through an open window on the passenger side of Mr Khan's vehicle.

He contacted the police who recorded the incident as an assault.


Image: Telegraph & Argus

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "We have recorded a crime of assault on Wakefield Road on Saturday, August 27. The crime has been filed pending any new lines of enquiries."

"I was lucky the stone hit me in the neck and not on my head or in my eye," said Mr Khan. "This job is not safe."

Even though he was "surprised" by the incident and fears for his safety, Mr Khan will not be changing his job anytime soon.

"This is my livelihood," he said. "I don't have any other choice not to do this job. I've just invested in a new car because of the Clean Air Zone."

Mr Khan's friend, Habib Nawaz, who is also a hackney carriage taxi driver and is a member of the Bradford Taxi Association, said the incident is "upsetting and worrying" for taxi drivers.

"We need to protect the safety of taxi drivers and we need the police to take action," said Mr Nawaz.

"This is very serious. He got hit in the neck. He's very lucky this didn't cause an accident."

Mr Nawaz said two years ago, another taxi was shot at by an air gun on Wakefield Road, shattering both back seat windows.

Mr Nawaz said similar incidents of people throwing stones happen every two to three weeks in nearby Holme Wood, which has caused some drivers to refuse to go to the area.

"I don't want to refuse to pick up a customer but we also have to pay to repair our car windows if they are smashed. This can take our taxi off the road for a couple of days.

"We just want the police to do something. Too many times, taxi drivers don't report an incident because they don't think the police will do anything."

This mindless vandalism drives me mad.

I would imagine the drivers would like to have a chat with the idiots throwing stones.

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IDFIMH

A more general article about stone-throwing. Usual comms blather from the 'portfolio holder', but the police statements give the impression they can't even be bothered with that


Cabbies' fury over stone-throwing attacks on Bradford taxis

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... ord-taxis/


Image: Bradford Telegraph & Argus

BRADFORD cabbies have spoken of their fury over recent stone-throwing attacks on taxis on the city’s busy Wakefield Road.

Now frustrated taxi drivers are planning strike action on Nelson Street in the city centre next week.

One driver, Sajid Akram, told the T&A of his shock after his car was hit by two stones thrown by youths near the BP Petrol Station and Winston Churchill pub on Wakefield Road.

Mr Akram said: "They threw two stones, one that shattered my windscreen and one that broke the passenger side window.

"They threw two stones and then just disappeared," said Mr Akram. "I had three passengers in the back of the car. We all got a shock.

"What if someone had got hit in the head and crashed into a barrier? They could end up killing somebody."

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "We’ve recorded a crime of criminal damage. Enquiries ongoing."

Habib Nawaz, a member of the Bradford Taxi Association, said: "We're going to do a strike action at 10.30am next Tuesday (October 11). The hackney carriage drivers will be taking strike action on Nelson Street.

"The police are not helping taxi drivers," said Mr Nawaz. "We've reported incidents that are happening on the emergency number, but then we've been told we should ring 101. By the time police show up the person is gone. If police are not taking any action, what's the point of going to police?"

The taxi drivers said stone-throwing incidents have been a problem on Wakefield Road and in the Holme Wood area.

Mohammed Kamran Khan, who works for Zip Cars, on Tong Street, said: "These incidents have happened several times in the Holme Wood area and now they're happening on Wakefield Road.

"Taxi drivers are sick to death of this," said Mr Khan, whose car was hit by stones on Wakefield Road on the evening of September 25.

“We report these incidents to police, but they never ring back to follow it up.

"All of the drivers are stressing that they can't work at night. It's affecting out livelihood and lifestyle.

"They target taxi drivers because they can see our vehicles coming from far away. Last night I was scared to work."

Ken Ives, owner of Zip Cars, said: "I've started to compensate drivers whose cars have been vandalised to offer them an incentive to continue serving the area.

"If all my drivers would leave because of these incidents, it would be even more costly for me."

"They're treating us like third class citizens," said Mohammed Arshad, a taxi driver who had a windscreen broken. "We are scared to go to these areas."

Taxi driver Nijabat Ali said: "I'm disappointed with police but what can you do?"

Another driver Umar Ayub added: "We look out for people throwing stones in case they're hanging about, and sometimes we take longer ways around."

Driver Mansha Khan said: "A few weeks back a stone was thrown at my car and I had a passenger in the vehicle.

"The frightening thing for me is the passenger's safety. If it caught them in the head, it could have caused some serious damage."

Driver Azhar Iqbal said: "My car was badly damaged when it was hit by a stone on the ring road at Bierley roundabout.

"It was a heavy stone and I had a passenger in the car at the time they would have been injured."

Cllr Abdul Jabar, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and community safety, said: "Any form of anti-social behaviour is completely unacceptable. As ever it’s a small number of people causing a significant amount of damage and stress for the law-abiding majority.

"Everyone should have the right to live free of anti-social behaviour and we strongly support the police in tackling it wherever it appears.

"We will be discussing these latest incidents with our partners to ensure every possible action is being taken to crack down on this behaviour and support people to go about their daily business in peace."

Cllr Hassan Khan (Lab, Bowling and Barkerend) said: "They're targeting taxi drivers, so there is concern from councillors about this sort of behaviour.

"If anything goes wrong, somebody could get killed. Police need to take action.

"There needs to be more patrols in the area. Police should write a letter to local households, and give some type of warning.

"The taxi drivers are right to be upset when no one is listening to them.

"We need proper action on this matter. Their lives and vehicle are being threatened."

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police acknowledged the incident reported on Wakefield Road last week, but added: "We haven't recorded any criminal damage incidents in the Holme Wood area in the last six weeks."


Image: Bradford Telegraph & Argus

Crunch talks with taxi bosses avert Bradford cabbie strike

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... ie-strike/



CRUNCH talks with taxi drivers upset over Wakefield Road stone attacks have averted a cabbie strike planned for tomorrow (Tuesday).

A number of hackney carriage drivers had planned to go on strike on Nelson Street at 10.30am tomorrow, but that strike action has now been avoided after last-minute talks were held today at City Hall between taxi drivers, Bradford Council bosses, councillors and the police.

Habib Nawaz, a member of the Bradford Taxi Association, said: "We've called off the strike after meeting with a group of councillors, Bradford Council and the police.

"I appreciate their concerns and the police said they will keep an eye on the area around Wakefield Road where stones have been thrown at taxi drivers and their vehicles."

"The meeting went very well. Everybody listened and I'm happy with the police who were keen to hear about the problems.

"I'd just like to reassure all of our customers that there will be no strike."

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IDFIMH