Prevention of assaults still a key issue

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33941, 6 September 1975, Page 2

Prevention of assaults still a key issue

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON, September 5. The prevention of assaults on taxi-drivers is expected to be a key issue at next week’s national Taxi Proprietors’ Federation’s annual conference in Queenstown — in spite of a reduction in the frequency of the offence. An Auckland insurance company has imported a S w e d i s h-made protection shield for taxis which will be demonstrated at the conference. Some Auckland drivers have already fitted safety shields, according to the Auckland Taxi Company’s acting manager (Mr L. O. Cooper). Only one cab in Hamilton has a shield fitted. Taxi drivers’ security came under scrutiny earlier

this year after a rash of assaults, which led to the death of two taxi-drivers. DRIVERS KILLED The taxi proprietors’ federation sent a deputation to the Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay) a week after an Auckland driver, Mr R. van Mierlo, was killed in a crash after the conversion of his cab, and his kidnapping by four youths. Since the call for greater penalties for offences of violence against taxi-drivers, Supreme Court judges have given warnings that such attacks will not be tolerated by the courts. Mr Cooper said that offences in Auckland ‘ seemed to have fallen considerably in the months since Mr van Mierlo’s death. But he considered that the fitting of safety shields had little to do with the decrease in these offences. “Some cabs have fitted safety shields, but if somebody is going to get you they can wait until you are

out of the car, opening the boot to get a carton of beer,” he said. Auckland taxi operators had now developed a system of communication with their base to warn other drivers of suspicions of trouble, and to call for help. POLICE TASK FORCE But a major reason behind a decrease in incidents was the Auckland police task force, Mr Cooper said. “The force is working so well that police are at the scene within minutes of a call,” he said. “Before the introduction of the task force, the ambulance would arrive about one hour and a half before the police.” Liquor was a major factor in assaults on taxi-drivers, M r Cooper believed. Drunken passengers soon became abusive if they were not allowed to bring beer into the car, he said.

“And if there is a group, then the driver is in trouble,” he said.