Bedford taxi driver left shaken after man threatened to kill him

A taxi driver has been left shaken after a passenger threatened to kill him and left without paying.

Majid Khan, of Bedford, had been doing a part-time shift for Anglia Cars last Friday (March 17) to help out due to a rugby match at Goldington Road.

He picked up two woman, two men and one child and took them to Sandy Post Office in Pleasant Place.

He said: “I helped put a buggy and an electric scooter in the boot,” and added he even helped out again when they got to the destination.

But when the group said they’d get the payment from inside their property, Majid was attacked and racially harassed.

He said: “As I got to the alleyway, I got pinned down by the boy and the the bulky man threatened me and said ‘I will kill you’.

“That’s it, I thought I am going to die and then they ran away.”

Majid – who contacted the police – was left shaken, minus the £28 fare plus fuel.

And he’s now calling on the public to contact the police if they saw anything

He said: “I’ve also requested Bedford Borough Council, going forward, put in place a pay-straight-away or no pick up policy – and I have requested a formal meeting with Bedfordshire police crime commissioner on the safety of taxi drivers.”

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said: “On Friday, March 17, we were called to an incident on Pleasant Place, Sandy, after passengers in a taxi had racially abused a taxi driver and made off without payment.

“Shortly before 9:30pm the taxi driver parked up on Pleasant Place and the passengers left the vehicle, making no attempt to pay. When asked where they were going, the passengers racially abused and threatened the driver, before walking away from the vehicle.

“We are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the incident to contact us quoting the crime reference number 40/14621/23.”

Councillor Colleen Atkins, portfolio holder for community safety, regulatory services and housing at Bedford Borough Council, said: “Taxi and private hire drivers play a crucial role in providing safe and reliable transportation for the community and should not be subjected to abuse for the service they provide.

"The safety and wellbeing of both taxi drivers and passengers is a key priority for Bedford Borough Council, as outlined in our Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

“We would like to encourage drivers to report any incidents of non-payment or verbal or physical abuse to Bedfordshire Police who can investigate accordingly.”