- A Melbourne taxi driver refused a fare from an elderly man on Thursday night
- The man was believed to be having a stroke at the time of hailing down the taxi
- The taxi driver was caught on camera denying the fare at Melbourne Airport
- 13CABS reviewed the footage and subsequently suspended the taxi driver
A Melbourne taxi driver has refused a fare from an elderly man who was believed to be having a stroke.
The driver was caught on camera denying the fare at Melbourne Airport on Thursday night following a lengthy argument with a concerned onlooker.
The passerby – who filmed the confrontation and uploaded it to Facebook – said the elderly man was 80-years-old and appeared to require medical assistance.
A Melbourne taxi driver (pictured) has been caught on camera refusing a fare from an elderly man who was believed to be having a stroke at Melbourne Airport on Thursday night
The driver walked away from the fare (pictured) following a lengthy argument with a concerned onlooker
In the video, the man tells the taxi driver he is obligated to accept the elderly man’s fare ‘even if it’s 100 metres’.
The taxi driver appears to begrudgingly accept to take the driver, which the passerby claims is only because he ‘made an issue’ out of it.
The pair continue to squabble, with the passerby calling the taxi driver an ‘idiot’ and a ‘disgrace’.
‘Don’t f***ing swear at me, man,’ the taxi driver shouts back at the passerby, while the elderly man gingerly enters the car.
The passerby – who filmed the confrontation and uploaded it to Facebook – said the elderly man (pictured) was 80-years-old and appeared to require medical assistance
13CABS reviewed the footage after it surfaced online and subsequently suspended the taxi driver
But the taxi driver suddenly hops out, saying: ‘Okay, do whatever you want, I’m not going to take him now.’
He then proceeds to walk away and leave his taxi in the parking bay, with the elderly man waiting in the passenger seat.
13CABS reviewed the footage after it surfaced online and subsequently suspended the taxi driver, 7 News reported.
Victorian law dictates that a taxi driver cannot refuse a fare on the basis of its length or convenience once they are hailed down by a passenger.
But no official complaint has yet been made to the Taxi Services Commission, the publication reported.