Death fears over taxi attacks
Belfast Telegraph
By Clare Weir
31 December 2007
Fears have been raised that someone will be killed in Derry if attacks on taxis do not cease.
The concerns were aired by Foyle DUP MLA and Assembly speaker William Hay after the latest incident on Saturday night when a vehicle had its back window smashed as it sat at traffic lights at Crescent Link in the Waterside.
Bricks and other missiles were thrown during the onslaught, which occurred at 7.50pm, smashing the rear window and damaging the bodywork.
The driver and passengers were unhurt and police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.
Mr Hay said: “There have been countless attacks on taxis in the Waterside and I have met with the police on a number of occasions to try and see what might be done.
” Not only could this type of attack lead to serious injury or a fatality, there are worries that this could spark revenge-type attacks on drivers from Waterside companies on the west bank.
“Regardless of what company this driver worked for, taxi driving is a job of work and they provide a valuable service. We need to get together and send out the message that these types of attacks are unacceptable.
“The Crescent Link is now a dual carriageway from the Foyle Bridge right up to the hospital.
“It is a fast road, being used late at night. Fortunately in this case the driver had stopped and this is when these people took advantage. If he had been travelling at any speed the consequences could have been much worse not only for him and his passengers but for other road users.
“All the same, it must have been a terrifying attack.”
There have been a series of attacks on taxis from companies in the nationalist west bank as they have driven in the Waterside.
Last year a series of incidents on the east bank heightened fears that taxis were being caught up in a tit-for-tat campaign by nationalist and loyalist youths.
