Adelaide taxi driver and a popular member of the Punjabi community in South Australia has been left injured and unable to work after he was assaulted by a passenger who allegedly refused to pay his fare.
65-year-old Amrik Thandi- a cabbie of 35 years and an independent candidate for the SA Legislative Council earlier this year- said he just asked for $35 fare while his passenger was trying to walk off.
"He got out of the cab even though I asked him to pay. When I stepped out and demanded the fare, he got enraged," Mr Thandi told SBS Punjabi.
He then grabbed the man’s bag as he tried to walk off. The fare evading passenger then set upon the Indian migrant who fell to the ground, hitting him repeatedly.
"I fell on the ground holding his bag and when I fell on the ground he put his foot here on my neck and he kicked me in the head," Mr Thandi said.
The incident that occurred after 5 pm on Wednesday was caught on a surveillance camera and the footage shows the scuffle between the taxi driver and the passenger lasted four minutes. Mr Thandi says the assault has left him shaken.
"It [the incident] was really traumatising," Mr Thandi said.
After he was repeatedly hit and pinned to the ground, Mr Thandi eventually gave up and his passenger is seen fleeing into an alleyway.
Amrik Thandi at the SA Parliament with members of the Punjabi community. Source: Supplied
Mr Thandi said an off-duty policeman and his doctor wife helped him and called the police and ambulance.
He was taken to the hospital for head scans as the left side of his head was swollen.
Police are investigating the incident and say the offender is in his 30s, about 180cm tall with medium build and a bald head.
Though South Australia has special laws against assaulting transport workers, Mr Thandi - former chair of SA Taxi Council's safety committee - says such attacks are still rampant.
"They [authorities] don't take these incidents seriously. The man who attacked me hasn't been arrested so far. I'm sure he lives nearby where he the incident happened."
"If the guy isn't arrested, taxi drivers will have to go on a strike," he told SBS Punjabi.
He says it's not the first time a fare evader has turned on him. He says a passenger pulled a screwdriver and threatened him before. "Police haven't got him yet".
