Cabbies call for action from police.

Taxi drivers at a public meeting have painted a picture of Christchurch’s mean streets, describing being assaulted, stabbed, robbed, abused and thrown up on by drunks.

 

All demanded quicker police responses and more follow-up on offenders.

Organised by National MP Nicky Wagner in the wake of the death of taxi driver Abdulrahman Ikhtiari, the drivers’ stories at the meeting at the Refugee and Migrant Centre last night included:

A driver who was slashed in the face with a knife by two youths, who were sentenced to community service.

A driver who was arrested for using bad language after he had called police about a man who jumping on his bonnet.

A driver punched in the face through his car window after his vehicle was rammed in a road-rage incident.

Women offering sexual favours in return for rides or threatening sexual assault complaints if not let off their fares.

The drivers believed police did not prioritise their calls.

The mainly immigrant drivers said police needed to listen to them – the sober ones – rather than the drunk patrons.

Refugee support worker Rubina Nawabi said Ikhtiari’s death was the result of years of police inaction.

Many of the criminals were repeat offenders and “if they had nipped it in the bud, it never would have happened”.

“These people are easy prey,” she said, indicating the immigrant drivers.

“It’s very much racial. The first question they ask is `where are you from?’ When they hear Afghanistan, it’s `Oh, Osama bin Laden’.”

Hassan, a Gold Band Taxis driver, said all drivers had the same stories.

“You think you are a slave. People do whatever they want. When you call the police, everyone abuses you; no-one supports you.”

Another driver said people who did “runners” on taxis were not prioritised. Inspector Derek Erasmus, Canterbury Road Policing manager, said police had to prove intent to commit fraud, which made the “runner” a hard crime to prosecute. Taxi drivers should not pick up passengers they were doubtful about.

NZPA.

Tranzqual celebrates an industry training landmark as 30,000 trainees are reached.

December 15, 2008

 Wellington Combined Taxis and Tranzqual, the standards setting body for the road transport, passenger service and logistics sector, is celebrating an industry training landmark as taxi driver Chris Anastasiadis has been announced as Tranzqual’s 30,000th trainee.

The 61-year-old driver has recently passed a Limited Credit Program (LCP) course as part of an initiative by Wellington Combined Taxis to upskill their driving force.

Chris says the on-the-job training was a positive experience and helped him with everyday aspects of the job.

“I already have a lot of licences so for me it was a bit of a refresher on what I had learned in the past but it was good training.”

Tranzqual CEO Wayne Smith says it is a great achievement for Tranzqual to reach 30,000 trainees and highlights the organisation’s importance for New Zealand’s business community.  

“Enrolment numbers are increasing and Tranzqual is well positioned to keep delivering high quality standards to crucial elements of New Zealand’s business sectors.”

Wayne says there are real positives in driver training for the passenger service and transport industries as increased levels of customer service would be passed onto the customer.
“We know that companies that invest in quality training for their workforce reap 5 -20 percent bottom line productivity gains over those that don’t.
“Research tells us that productivity success in turn feeds on itself in many positive ways. Skilled people are innovative workers, they have lower turnover rates and better safety records.
 “Acquiring valuable skills is a win-win for both employees like Chris and also the companies like Wellington Combined that invest in their future.”
Chris decided to start a career driving taxis as he wanted to be his own boss and have more time to spend trout fishing.  

After four years behind the wheel the Cretan-born Kiwi doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

“I couldn’t sit in the house and do nothing. Driving a taxi is good for me – I get to meet people.”

Wellington Combined Taxis is committed to training their driving force with about 15 drivers a week engaged in education each week.

Of the more than 500 company drivers more than 200 have completed the LCP programme.

Wellington Combined general manager Kevin Braid says the company’s training initiative has been driven by customers who demand high quality service.

“We rely on the quality of our drivers and the service we provide. The better the service we can provide the better it is for our customers and our company.

“We congratulate Chris and all the drivers at Wellington Combined on their driver training achievements,” he said.

Source: http://www.tranzqual.org.nz/news-events/article.php?id=648

The green message.

After a just a year in business, Green Cabs is finding other taxi firms are now starting to drive home the green message too, which promises a ride that’s easy on your wallet as well as the environment.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/2414403

New Zealand Taxi Federation warns drivers over attacks.

Attacks on taxi drivers were becoming more serious and drivers needed to take precautions to keep safe, the Taxi Federation says.
Meanwhile police are continuing their search for the two men who stabbed a Christchurch taxi driver to death on Saturday morning.

Married father-of-five Abdulrahman Ikhtiari, 39, originally from Afghanistan, died where he was stabbed on Worcester St in central Christchurch shortly after midnight.

Taxi Federation executive director Tim Reddish told Radio New Zealand, attacks on taxi drivers were becoming more serious.

Perpetrators of the attacks were now armed, and knives were quite common, he said.

“The whole scene is getting far more dangerous than it was previously.”

It was time for the management of taxi companies to insist for their drivers to take proper precautions to keep safe, said Mr Reddish.

There was proven technology, like screens and cameras in cabs, to keep drivers safe, he said.

However, the security gear was quite expensive and most drivers did not have a lot of money.

“I will be talking to the government about perhaps trying to introduce some sort of loan scheme that can enable this equipment to be purchased and paid off over time.”

Police were continuing to appeal for witnesses to the fatal stabbing, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Johnson said.

The killers would now be “anxious” and would be talking a lot about Mr Ikhtiari’s death and asking what people thought about it, he said.

The two men were described as in their mid-20s, about 1.8m tall, both with dark skin, of medium athletic build with short dark hair. One man was wearing a white bandanna or cap and dark clothing, and the other was wearing a white top and dark trousers.

Tears as cabbie murder accused remanded.

The 16-year-old charged with murdering taxi driver Abdulrahman Ikhtiari wiped tears from his eyes as he appeared in court today.
The youth, who has name suppression, and a 19-year-old co-accused appeared in court in Christchurch today and were remanded without plea until December 23.
The 19-year-old, a painter, has been given name suppression until 5pm tomorrow to give him time to consult a lawyer.
The pair were arrested last night and had family in court to support them.
One woman yelled out ‘I love you’ as the 16-year-old was remanded, and he wiped tears from his eyes.
SEARCH WARRANTS
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Johnson said yesterday the pair were arrested following information from the public.
Searches were carried out in Christchurch yesterday and police say they “obtained a number of items of interest to the investigation”.
Johnson had spoken to Ikhtiari’s family and they were very “grateful and relieved”.
“We hope this assists and provides some comfort for the family and their community and allows them to move on.”
Police said yesterday they had security-camera footage of Ikhtiari’s United Taxis cab stopping on Worcester Street about 1am on Saturday.
The footage was recorded from a distance and there were “lighting issues”, but minutes later two men could be seen running from the murder scene, Johnson said.
An autopsy indicated a thin blade at least 14cm long, and about 2cm thick, was used to kill the father of five.
Johnson said the motivation for the attack was not known.
A trust fund had been established by lawyer Andrew Oh to help support the family. Oh is also a board of trustees member at Aorangi School, where several of the Ikhtiari children are pupils.
Oh said Ikhtiari’s family were still very distressed yesterday, and his widow had become so distraught she had spent time in hospital.
Details of the fund are available at www.duncancotterill.com. Taxi companies have also set up a fund for the family. Anyone with information for the police should call 03 363 7400.

source: NZPA

Callum Brown makes application seeking approval to form a new Taxi Organization.

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL AS A TAXI ORGANISATION UNDER THE LAND TRANSPORT ACT 1998.

Callum Brown trading as behalf of Cabeez Ltd  is making application to the Director, Land Transport for Approval as a Taxi Organisation.

Source: NZPA.