Police seek 3 men in taxi-driver attacks

Calgary police have released a description of three men who are attacking taxi drivers, after CBC News reported on the cases of five cabbies who have been assaulted and robbed in the past month.

Police said Thursday they're looking for three men twowhite 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 timeson callsto pick up customers from the northeast neighbourhoods of Falconridge and Abbeydale, police said. Once the drivers arrived, they wereambushed by three men, investigators said.

CBC News reported on Wednesday that two drivers were held up at gunpoint, including one who was beaten with a metal bar. Cash, and in one case the taxi itself, was taken from them.

Monmohan Grewal came forward with his story on Thursday, recounting how he was attacked earlier in the week while working the night shift.

"Somebody smashed the window from my left side and... somebody was going to hit me, so I put my hand to save my head, butI got hit anyways from the left side and suddenlyI got hit from the right side," Grewal said in an interview with CBC News, showing scars on his skull.

"It is very scary for me," he said. "I'm thinking something is happening to the other drivers, who is going to care for their families?"

The cityis offering a free training course to drivers to make them more aware of dangers.

"Prepare yourself not to take the hooks," said Marc Halat, manager of Livery Transportation Services for the city of Calgary."The hooks are, you got change for a $100 bill? It's 2 o'clock in the morning, and if you say you do, you're kind of setting yourself up for a bad day."

Police also said Thursday thatthey'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.