A 39-year-old taxi driver has been arrested by Southern Division Task Force officers for the alleged assault of a female passenger, which was caught on camera and has created a stir on social media.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Wayne Mystar yesterday revealed the taxi driver, who lives in Princes Town, was taken into police custody after the victim made a police report.
His arrest came hours after social media was flooded with calls for the taxi badge of the driver to be revoked.
Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media since Monday, evoking outrage and condemnation.
However, the driver also took to social media claiming that he was provoked by the passenger. He, however, apologised for his actions. Guardian Media understands that the woman boarded the taxi in San Fernando to be taken to Vistabella but the driver went to drop off other passengers, including a toddler, at Circular Road.
The woman raised concern that the driver passed her destination by taking another route and began recording the interaction when the driver was seen hitting her phone out of her hands.
Another video appeared to show the driver again attacking the woman while she was recording him outside the vehicle.
He claimed he asked the woman not to record him but she persisted and "She aggravate me and try to make a scene. I proceeded to hit her phone out of her hand," he said.
He admitted to grabbing the woman's phone and said he gave it back after she paid him.
Another viral video showed the driver being chased off the taxi stand by a group of people with one man striking him for assaulting a woman.
Meanwhile, Marabella Taxi Drivers' Association president Andy White said they have decided to expel him from the association, and he will not be allowed to work on their stand.
White, who uploaded two videos to social media condemning the actions of the driver, said since last year he had received complaints about the driver's alleged aggressiveness towards women.
"I just putting out this video to clarify that Marabella (drivers), we don't condone this is no form, no shape. Hitting women is totally wrong. We don't hit women. We don't hit children. We don't hit people." White advised the public not to travel with him.
Former president Chevaughn Marshall said the incident has reflected badly on the other drivers and they have decided not to allow him to work on the stand.
"We are not going to encourage him here. We don't want no part of that because when women and children travel here, they must feel safe." Marshall said while nothing prevents the driver from working another route, he called on other associations not to permit him to work on their taxi stands.
