Taxi drivers tell of racial abuse

Muhammad Shaban, a police liaison officer with the Worcester Taxi Owners' Association, claims drivers in other cities are shocked at how much their counterparts have to endure.

"They say they get abuse but only very rarely, about once a year," he said.

"We asked nearly every single taxi driver in Worcester, and they get racially abused at least once a week," said Mr Shaban, who made his claim on the day BBC Hereford & Worcester's first episode of its new documentary, Wyld's Lane, was broadcast.

The documentary follows the lives of three Asian men and features secret recordings made from equipment hidden in a taxi.

Zahoor Ahmad, a community development officer with Worcestershire Racial Equality Council, stressed that racial abuse was a national issue.

"There are a number of taxi drivers that come into contact with racism," he said.

"People tend to get into a taxi when they've had quite a lot to drink and they become abusive.

"A lot of drivers in the past have taken it simply as part of the job. We're saying that it is not part of the job."

Mr Ahmad said he could not confirm that Worcester's taxi drivers suffered more racial abuse than anywhere else in the country, but believed the Faithful City still had 'a large number of racial attacks that go unreported'.

"Certainly, some of the documentary Hereford & Worcester have done shows there is racial abuse," he added.

"We're looking at ways to tackle racism.

"People who encounter it need to report it to the police or the Racial Equality Council. It needs to be followed up."

Anyone who is a victim of racial abuse can contact the Worcestershire Racial Equality Council on 01905 29283.

Taxi drivers tell of racial abuse