Cabbies swamp police safety meeting

Upset taxi drivers flooded a public meeting on gang problems Thursday night to demand Calgary police do more about violent attacks on cabbies.

Police confirmed Thursday afternoon they were looking for three men in eight such attacks after CBC News talked with several drivers who described their ordeals.

More than 150 cab drivers attended the public meeting on community safety held by police at Whitehorn Community Centre.

Sgt. Sean Lynn tried to calm their fears, promising another public meeting to discuss cab driver safety.

"Please be patient with us. Work with us. We are doing our best to try and stop this crime," he said.

Cabbie calls for a strike

But Bal Sahota, head of Advance Cab, kept standing up and asking whether cab driver safety is a priority for police.

"At least the help should arrive on time so we can save them before they are in a dangerous situation," he said.

Abdul Khan, a driver withBlack Top Cabs, questioned police statistics, saying he believed there have been 22 attacks on taxi drivers. He said he is fed up with police excuses, and he suggested a cabbie strike.

"We will sit at home. We will not work and we will lose our jobs. And the passengers who will take the passengers?" he said.

City hall meeting planned

Taxi drivers and brokers were meeting at city hall Friday afternoon to discuss what can be done to protect drivers.

Tony Singh, head of the Taxi Drivers Association of Alberta, saidprotective plastic shields separating drivers from back seat passengers will be discussed at the meeting. About half the cab drivers in the city would like to have the shields installed in their taxicabs, but only if the city would help in pay the cost, an estimated $400 to $700, he said.

"Shields do help if anything is going to happen inside the cab, but most of these latest incidents havehappened outside thetaxi," he said. "If they pull you outside the taxi, a shieldisn't going to help you."

Police looking for 3 men

Police said Thursday they're looking for three men two white and one black between the ages of 16 and 25. They were all wearing dark clothing and hooded sweatshirts at the time of the incidents.

Since mid-February, cab drivers have been attacked eight times on calls to pick up customers from the northeast neighbourhoods of Falconridge and Abbeydale, police said. Once the drivers arrived, they were ambushed by three men, investigators said.

The city is offering a free training course to drivers to make them more aware of dangers. Police also said that they're working with drivers on safety protocols, such as remaining in their cabs instead of going up to a door when picking up a passenger.

Cab drivers can install protective shields paid out of their own pocket, but they are not mandated by the city.