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Women arrested after racist abuse claim
A taxi driver spoke of his disgust after allegedly being racially abused in a row over a £7.70 fare.
Preston hackney cab driver Attiq Rahman, 34, says he was subjected to a torrent of racist language after a 10-minute row over the cost of the journey.
Mr Rahman, a father-of-two who has been driving taxis in the city for four years, picked up a party of revellers at the Market Street rank close to Squires nightclub at around 3.45am on Sunday.
He said six of the group initially tried to get in.
He refused to let them in because he is only licensed to take five passengers but, unbeknown to him, one man snuck into the cab by lying on the floor.
He took them to an address at Park Close, Ribbleton – a journey of around five minutes – only for the group to then claim they did not have the fare.
After a 10-minute argument he was paid the fare but one of the women allegedly spouted racist abuse as she got out.
He immediately called police who arrived at the address and made two arrests at around 4.30am.
He said: "The girl who passed the racist remarks – there was a lot of hatred in it. I just stood there and straight away called the police.
"If people are drunk and they are saying words like this they may not mean it but this girl, maybe she'd had a drink, but she was not drunk.
"I feel bad about it. Being a taxi driver I have been abused so many times but not like this."
Two women were arrested under suspicion of committing a racially aggravated offence under section five of the Public Order Act, which covers using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour which cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Mark Selley, secretary of Preston Hackney Carriage Association, said: "I think (racist abuse) is intolerable.
"These guys are doing a difficult job and there is no place at all for it.
"The council, the police and taxi drivers should adopt a zero tolerance approach to it. If I get people getting in who make comments like that I refuse to take them."
A spokesman for the police said two women, aged 21 and 25, were arrested. They have both been bailed until June 19.
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Wednesday 22 February 2012
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