Taxi driver locked doors on woman

Fonacab said no driver was permitted to reset a meter during a journey

A taxi driver has been sacked after he allegedly locked a woman in his car and drove off because she refused to pay an inflated fare.

The woman said the driver reset the £3.10 fare after two friends had got out, but when she reached her destination the driver demanded £6.10.

He then locked the doors and drove her away until she agreed to pay the money.

Fonacab said after an investigation, it had let the driver go and informed taxi regulator, the DoE.

The woman said she and two friends got into the taxi in Belfast city centre.

"It dropped my two friends off at Cromac Street in the Markets," she told the BBC's Nolan Show.

We have a very strict policy and complaints procedure - we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour from one of our drivers William McCausland Fonacab

"The meter read £3.10 and my friends gave me £3 and said for me to put the rest to it when we got over the bridge.

"I was going over then to the Short Strand when the driver put the meter back to the start and I wondered why he had done that.

"When we got to the Short Strand, he asked me for £6.10 for the fare and I told him I wasn't paying it because he had reset the fare.

"I was going to give him £4, which is what the fare should have been, and was going to get out when he locked the doors - he wouldn't let me out of the car and then he drove away."

'A short time'

After pleading with him to let her go, she gave him more money, but he demanded she pay £6.10 and drove off again.

"I then found another £1.02 in my coat, and he opened the doors and let me out."

William McCausland of Fonacab said it deeply regretted the incident.

"The driver had only been working for the company for a short time - I think it was approximately three months," he said.

"We have a very strict policy and complaints procedure... we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour from one of our drivers.

"The driver was suspended immediately from working pending the outcome of the investigation. The complaint was dealt with immediately and now, due to the incident, the driver no longer works for us."

He said no driver was permitted to reset a meter during a journey.