By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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RACISM seems to be an unfortunate part of the job for Dandenong taxi drivers.
At a recent taxi industry inquiry, the City of Greater Dandenong made a submission that Dandenong Taxis drivers – mainly from India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan – were subject to violence and racist comments.
Ahmad, a Pakistan-born driver for 14 years , told the Weekly he tried to ignore outrageous racial slurs. “If they call you a bad name like ‘nigger’ or ‘Abo’ I just don’t talk to them. After five or 10 minutes they settle down.
“I used to get upset but I decided I can’t keep getting upset if I want to do the job. But 90 per cent of the public is great to work with.”
The first and only time he came under physical threat was a late night in January at Dandenong railway station. As he sat in his cab, a group of young Pacific Islander males brandishing rods and broken bottles smashed his taxi’s side window, GPS and dispatch system.
He said he was fortunate to escape injury but another cabbie in the rank was stabbed in the back. “It just happened for no reason. They just approached us and started bashing. I was really upset – it really ruined my night.”
Ahmad has since avoided Dandenong and Noble Park railway stations on Fridays and Saturdays after 11pm. Despite the presence of armed protective services officers at the Dandenong station at night, Ahmad said the site was a trouble spot for revellers drunk or on drugs.
Dandenong Taxis general manager Paul Smith said it “wasn’t the most safe job around”. “You don’t hear about all of the incidents. Drivers don’t always report them because it’s hard to get the evidence to charge offenders even if there’s video.”
Each cab has a security camera, which holds up to four days of vision. Cabbies also have emergency alarms to contact headquarters and are tracked by GPS. “Drivers have got to be careful and don’t be too argumentative. It’s not worth arguing over $10 for a smack in the mouth.”
Some, such as owner-operator Kulwant Sekhon, who spoke to the Weekly, don’t want to drive at night.
Fresh in his mind was the murder of Dandenong Taxis cabbie Cameron Rudd on November 14, 2000. “The [offending] guy had a gun. If you’re in a car and someone wants to rob you, there’s not much you can do about it.”
Taxi screens boost safety
NEW driver protection screens for cabs were approved by the state government last week.
The screens will be fitted to about 1000 Ford Falcon cabs with side-curtain airbags.
“The approval of the new screen means up to 3000 drivers who previously didn’t have access to a protection screen now do, and that’s a good thing,” Transport Minister Terry Mulder said.
“We want drivers to feel safe when they are at work so people have access to reliable and convenient taxi services, particularly late at night.”
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