Taxi drivers are keeping stories of abuse to themselves, a community leader says. Pakistan Association president Shahid Azad says he hears through others about physical and verbal attacks but when he questions the victims, they clam up. Mr Azad says drivers are reluctant to report incidents to the police or their taxi company because they believe nothing will happen. "The drivers say it's better to earn money than go to the police and waste your time. "We come to know through our sources. The victim doesn't usually tell." Mr Azad persuaded taxi driver Zafar Gondal to go public with his story when he was attacked in Mt Roskill in May. Auckland Co-operative Taxi Society compliance manager Mark Croudace says reports of abuse are rare among the Co-op's 150,000 to 200,000 jobs across the city each month. Advertisement type=text/javascript>spac_writeAd("/site=s/area=s.nznewspapers.auckland/aamsz=300x250/ch="); Advertisement Mr Croudace says he does not know if that is because attacks are going unreported. But he says emergency buttons in every Co-op taxi are hardly ever used, which suggests violence is not a major problem. The buttons send a message to a call centre supervisor, who pinpoints the driver and dispatches other taxis in the area to the driver's aid. If there are no other drivers in the area, the supervisor calls police. Mr Croudace says verbal attacks are more common than physical beatings, andmost complaints are about passengers running off without paying.
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Taxi drivers are keeping stories of abuse to themselves, a community leader says.
Pakistan Association president Shahid Azad says he hears through others about physical and verbal attacks but when he questions the victims, they clam up. Mr Azad says drivers are reluctant to report incidents to the police or their taxi company because they believe nothing will happen. "The drivers say it's better to earn money than go to the police and waste your time. "We come to know through our sources. The victim doesn't usually tell." Mr Azad persuaded taxi driver Zafar Gondal to go public with his story when he was attacked in Mt Roskill in May. Auckland Co-operative Taxi Society compliance manager Mark Croudace says reports of abuse are rare among the Co-op's 150,000 to 200,000 jobs across the city each month. Advertisement type=text/javascript>spac_writeAd("/site=s/area=s.nznewspapers.auckland/aamsz=300x250/ch="); Advertisement Mr Croudace says he does not know if that is because attacks are going unreported. But he says emergency buttons in every Co-op taxi are hardly ever used, which suggests violence is not a major problem. The buttons send a message to a call centre supervisor, who pinpoints the driver and dispatches other taxis in the area to the driver's aid. If there are no other drivers in the area, the supervisor calls police. Mr Croudace says verbal attacks are more common than physical beatings, andmost complaints are about passengers running off without paying.
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