Metin Akkusoglu took this photo just hours after he was randomly bashed outside Noble Park Train Station. The cab driver now refuses to pick up passengers from the station for fear of a repeat incident.By Shaun Inguanzo
A CAB DRIVER bashed last week by a violent mob will refuse to collect passengers from Noble Park Train Station because it is too dangerous.
Dandenong Taxis driver Metin Akkusoglu announced his station boycott after a random attack left him with a broken nose, swollen face and bloodied eyes.
The attack comes as local police step-up patrols of the Noble Park Train Station due to an increase in unruly behaviour over the past few months.
Mr Akkusoglu, 36, said he was waiting for passengers at Noble Park Train Station on Tuesday evening, 10 October, when he saw up to 15 youths start to assault a teenage boy.
Mr Akkusoglu said he yelled out to the mob to stop hitting the boy, but instead one man approached him telling him to ‘get back in your car’.
“I didn’t want to run away because of the way they were treating this kid,” he said.
“I started stepping back when he walked faster towards me when a person kicked me from behind. Then the man punched me in the face as I fell down.
“I got a broken nose, bloodied eyes, I had burst vessels in my cheek and a lot of swelling.”
Mr Akkusoglu then fled in his cab with blood gushing down the side of his face.
“I knew I had to get to Dandenong Hospital to get it to stop bleeding,” he said.
A cab driver waiting in the same rank behind Mr Akkusoglu witnessed the bashing and called the police.
“They got in contact with me twice to see if I was alright and I gave a statement.”
Mr Akkusoglu said he would not return to the station for fear of a repeat assault.
“I’ve been doing it for six years and have never had a problem. But I will not go there to work now, I’ll probably just go there for curiosity’s sake and will just drive past,” he said.
Fellow cab driver Andrew Hall said he had witnessed drug dealing near the station at night time and that there were ‘gangs of 50 people’ hanging around at times.
“This is why we need to have Noble Park made a premium station. That is not to say a premium station would stop what happened the other night (the assault) but a Connex worker’s presence might help,” Mr Hall said.
Dandenong Taxis manager Paul Smith said Mr Akkusoglu’s bashing highlighted the need for an increased police presence at the station.
Springvale Police Sergeant Mike Hughes this week said police were ramping up patrols around the station precinct for ‘as long as we have trouble’.
“Basically we are tasking units to patrol on a regular basis the Noble Park railway and its surrounds, including the Noble Park shopping precinct,” he said.
“We are also liaising with community and youth groups around the area to help resolve the issues.”
