Cabs rank high on driver fear

A BELLAMBI taxi driver has spoken out about his personal experiences with violent customers, adding weight to new research showing Wollongong as a hotspot for fare evasion and driver assaults.

The figures, released by the Taxi Industry Safety and Security Taskforce, surveyed 116 taxi drivers/operators throughout the Illawarra.

Fifty five percent of local drivers who responded said they felt unsafe driving at night and Wollongong also returned the worst result for fare evasion, topping the rest of the state with 52 percent of surveyed drivers saying it was a major problem.

Drivers from Wollongong are also the most likely to have been robbed (27 percent) and physically assaulted (22 percent).

Bellambi’s Keith Norris said he was recently attacked in his vehicle during an altercation in which he almost had his eyes gouged out.

Mr Norris, who has been driving taxis for 35 years, said violent incidents were not uncommon.

“It happens to drivers all the time – maybe once a week or once a fortnight,” Mr Norris said.

“The security cameras have helped a bit.”

New Passenger Transport Regulations will require all taxis in Wollongong to have approved driver security cameras fitted by March this year, but many are already equipped with them.

Manager of Wollongong Radio Cabs Nick Katselos said he attributed the relative danger of being a taxi driver in the area to practical difficulties concerning the enforcement of liquor laws; and the congested nature of Wollongong’s CBD nightlife.

Mr Katselos said he felt the police were doing a good job, but that extended trading hours for licensed premises could make life difficult for drivers.

“There are people who have been assaulted or robbed and so they stopped driving,” Mr Katselos said.

“We are always looking for more drivers.

“At night time they are very vulnerable, and when people drink too much, they lose their head.

“Things are much worse than they used to be and the figures on local safety don’t surprise me.”