With growing concerns over robberies involving taxi drivers, a Navua taxi driver says he has a responsibility to return home safely to his family after every shift, which is why he is now more selective about who he allows into his taxi.
Rakesh Kumar, who operates in the Suva-Nausori area, says he is particularly cautious about picking up male passengers after he was robbed about two weeks ago.
Kumar says he was recently dropping off passengers at Cunningham Stage 1 when he briefly looked away, and the suspect fled with his till.
Kumar, who has been a taxi driver for 26 years, says the recent incident involving the Nadi taxi driver has also made him fearful for his safety while working, and he now prefers to pick up female passengers.
He says he rarely stops for male passengers because of the increasing number of robbery cases involving taxi drivers.
He says he immediately reported the matter at the Cunningham Police Station and police searched for the suspect, but he was not found.
Kumar says he plans to install a camera in his taxi so that passengers can be recorded and suspects can be more easily identified if another robbery occurs.
He says while he is cautious about male passengers, women can also be involved in robberies.
Insert: Rakesh - Girls are now helping boys rob taxis Aug 27
Kumar says the safety of taxi drivers remains a concern and believes having cameras installed in vehicles could assist both drivers and police.
Meanwhile, another taxi driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he was shocked and furious when he saw the video of a taxi driver being robbed in Nadi.
He says this is one of the reasons some taxi drivers are selective about the passengers they pick up.
