Birmingham taxi driver beaten by fare-dodging passenger

A taxi driver has been repeatedly punched in the face by a man who refused to pay his fare.

A video of Tuesday's attack, in Druids Heath, Birmingham, shows the 52-year-old driver being attacked by the passenger.

A West Midlands drivers' association said such assaults were "frequent" and called for more protection for drivers.

West Midlands Police said it was investigating and using the footage to try to trace the attacker.

The driver was taken to hospital with a cut and swelling to his face after being "repeatedly punched" on Kimpton Close at about 14:00 BST, the force said.

Chair of the West Midlands Private Hire Drivers Association, Shaz Saleem, said the man, who has been driving taxis "for quite a while", had been left "shook up" by the attack.

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"Some people just don't have respect for drivers," he said, adding that the dispute was over a fare of £5-£10.

"That's quite a lot in these times," he said, as the coronavirus lockdown has left many taxi drivers struggling to make a living.

"Drivers have been off the road for three months; most have no choice but to go to work," Mr Saleem said. "They're risking their lives to be assaulted."

He said the association had been campaigning with local councils to protect taxi drivers better by introducing measures such as CCTV and advance payments for fares.

"People are taking advantage," he said. "It's lucky someone was recording this, or no-one would know about it."