Enough drunken pick-ups for North East taxi drivers

Dropping blood stained passengers off at hospital, being threatened with a brick and losing time off work to have vomit cleaned from his car, have all been part of the job for Eddy Binks, business development manager at NODA Taxis.

“Although this was a few years ago when I was driving, I know from the current experiences of our fleet of drivers that nothing has changed in the thirty years I have been involved in the business.

"We are all too familiar with the region\'s alcohol problems," says Eddy "and because taxi drivers are usually the last people that drunks have contact with after a night out, it\'s often cabbies that bear the brunt of any agro that\'s been building up."

Eddy drove cabs for 20 years before becoming chairman and then business development manager of Newcastle-based taxi company NODA, which was founded in 1947. He says that drunken passengers can be a danger to themselves and can even risk the lives of drivers. 

"Once, I dropped a passenger off at the address requested but he refused to pay and got out the car. When I asked him again for his fare he picked up a brick and threatened to smash my head in. After still refusing to pay, I had no option but to involve the police.

“On another occasion, I was driving when a drunk grabbed the steering wheel. He had no idea of the danger, as we were travelling at speed and only narrowly avoided a collision. When he did it again it resulted in another visit to the police.

“However, drivers are reluctant to take anyone to the police station as alcohol-related problems usually occur on weekends, and the police, who do a great job, can be stretched. Recently, one of our drivers was very badly assaulted next to the main police station in the city centre and ended up in hospital.

“In some cases, when a driver takes a problem passenger to a police station they are informed it is a civil matter and when the police do take action it can be a lengthy process. This means the police are stopped from doing other work and the driver is off the road losing earnings at the busiest times.

“I have to say that Newcastle and its nightlife show us as one of the friendliest cities in the country. In the main, the friendly geordie welcome is what attracts people here, but a small minority of people who have had too much to drink are out looking for trouble and it’s this that gets the city a bad name.

“An experienced driver’s instincts will alerts him or her to problem passengers by their body language, attitude and the smell of booze, which can be threatening.”

Eddy says that it’s not uncommon for drunken passengers to forget who they’ve been out with and where they live. They can even have difficulty getting money out of their pocket. 

“One of the most annoying things is when someone vomits in a taxi. This takes a driver off the road, and at night this can lose them a great deal of money. There is a soiling charge but it is difficult if not impossible to try and get payment.

“Drink is cheap and easier to obtain than ever before so perhaps the time is right to tackle the issue.”

Eddy's account reveals that the problem not only affects the livelihood of our region's taxi drivers, but just as importantly their health and safety. Although driver's try to 'grin and bear it' it is apparent that this issue severely affects an industry, which includes thousands of drivers in our region, not forgetting the booking clerks who can also suffer abuse.

“At NODA we have made it compulsory for all drivers to complete an NVQ in Road Passenger Vehicle Driving Level Two. This prepares them before going on the road but even then, the 'drunken passenger scenario' and the inherent dangers are stopping some from entering the trade. 

“We have a high percentage of Asian drivers in the business and the racial abuse they receive from drunks is intolerable. Just as disappointing is the fact that in recent times, it is actually the females in a party who can be worse than the men. 

“The region has been hit hard by the recession and some drivers’ morale is already low because of this. Having to suffer abuse is just as demoralising and cabbies can suffer from trepidation whenever someone staggers towards the vehicle.”