Taxi terror prompts a warning for women

Jessica Benton
POLICE and taxi operators have warned young women to be wary of travelling alone in Geelong taxis after an alleged sexual harassment of a passenger.
A young woman said she was forced to flee a taxi and hide in the early hours of Sunday morning after the driver became aggressive when she rejected his sleazy advances.
The allegation follows the conviction and imprisonment of a taxi driver earlier this year for sexually assaulting a passenger.
In Sunday’s incident, the young woman said the driver at first tried to lure her into the front seat with suggestive comments as the taxi travelled on Pakington Street, Geelong West.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said the driver became abusive after she declined.
“I was very scared,” she said.
“I started to yell back at him and told him to stop the taxi and let me out. I kept yelling at him and I think I might have frightened him because he pulled over and I jumped out.”
The woman tried to call friends on her mobile phone as she ran down Pakington Street.
“While this was happening the taxi returned and pulled up next to me. He was asking me to get back in.
“I kept running down a side road and hid.”
The woman said she reported the incident to police and Geelong Taxi Network.
Geelong Police Chief inspector Wayne Carson said he was unaware of her allegation but urged taxi passengers to remain vigilant.
“The best thing to do is not to travel alone at night and don’t get in the front seat at any time,” he said.
“If you have any doubts, try to recall the number plate of the taxi, which is also labelled clearly on both doors, and get as much detail as possible so you can report it straight to police.”
Geelong Taxi Network’s Peter Valentine said his company’s quality assurance department would investigate the woman’s allegation.
“We haven’t had many complaints but we do occasionally have an issue that needs investigating,” he said.
Mr Valentine said allegations against drivers could be cleared up faster if “safe city taxi ranks” in Moorabool and Ryrie streets had scanners, which would log fares.
The network and authorities were in discussions about installing scanners at the ranks, he said.
In January taxi driver Depal Dhir, 27, of Bell Park, was found guilty of 12 charges including sexual assault and thefts involving passengers.
He sexually assauled a passenger after she fell asleep in the back of his taxi on the way to Torquay from Geelong’s Home House nightclub.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan found Dhir guilty of 12 charges, including theft, unlawful assault, obtaining property by deception and sexual assault.