Former transport chief claims city taxi driver stole his change

A man who once helped run Dundee's public transport system claims he was ripped off by a city taxi driver.

• By Andrew Argo
• Published in the Courier : 14.02.12
• Published online : 14.02.12 @ 11.47am

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Raymond Mennie, who 20 years ago was convener of Tayside Region's roads and transport committee, says a taxi driver sped off without giving him his £15 in change on Friday night.

Mr Mennie (62) is furious about the episode which he has reported to the police, and fumed: ''I am a pensioner living on pension credit and to say that I was irate at the action of this low-down scumbag ... is putting it mildly.

''The taxi fraternity are always complaining about fare dodgers and 'runners' and I hope that they can furnish information at to the identity of this thief.''

One of the responsibilities of the former Whitfield councillor when he chaired the roads and transport committee was taxis and the operation of ranks in the city centre.

When he stepped into a cab in the Nethergate rank on Friday night, his journey home cost him four times as much as he expected.

The taxi stopped at his house in Ashbank Road and Mr Mennie got out by the back door, walked to the driver's window and handed over £20 expecting to get about £15 in change.

He continued: ''The driver promptly took off at some speed and careered into Scott Street without pausing to check that the junction was clear.

''Most annoyingly, he sounded two toots on his horn, having robbed me of my change. My only recollection of the vehicle was that it was a white or light-coloured car.''

He phoned the police but said he was ''given short shrift'' and told there wasn't much that officers could do. Two officers then visited him and gave him the telephone numbers of four taxi operators.

He phoned them but he said they were of no help, ''despite their use of tracking technology to record journey times and routes and the location of their drivers throughout the day.''

Mr Mennie was unhappy at the response of Tayside Police and believed that having ''worked all my days and paid my taxes for 48 years'' he expected they should have been more active in investigating the crime.

There was a good chance he was seen on CCTV entering the taxi can in Nethergate, and he added: ''I could probably search the tapes and identify the taxi and its driver myself.''

A spokeswoman for Tayside Police confirmed Mr Mennie reported the incident to them about 11.30pm on Friday and was advised to contact taxi companies regarding the matter.

Graeme Stephen, chairman of the Dundee Taxi Owners' Association, said he was baffled by Mr Mennie's complaint.

''It should be investigated and if it did happen as Mr Mennie has stated then action should be taken against the driver concerned and that driver should have their badge removed,'' he stated.

''But I wonder if it did happen the way Mr Mennie has said? I wonder if there was a misunderstanding?

''A fare from Nethergate to Ashbank Road on Friday night should have been about £5 and the passenger says he handed over £20 but why did he step out of the car? Normally a passenger would hand over the fare while inside the car and not leave the vehicle to hand it over.

''It may be that by stepping out of the car the driver thought the passenger was leaving the vehicle having handed over money to cover the fare, and change was not to be given. I don't know, but this needs to be investigated to find out what really happened.''

► Dundee's licensing committee is considering a proposal that passengers should pay fares when they step into cabs and not at the end of journeys. It would tackle the problem of passengers running off without paying.

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