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File image of licenced taxis waiting for passengers at Malaga Airport. Salvador Salas
'Pirate' taxi driver who fled at speed from police at Malaga Airport with a passenger inside vehicle is arrested
Crime

'Pirate' taxi driver who fled at speed from police at Malaga Airport with a passenger inside vehicle is arrested

During the attempt to make a get away from the patrol, the individual failed to give way at two pedestrian crossings and another taxi driver had to jump out of the way to avoid being run over

SUR

Malaga

Friday, 11 October 2024, 19:17

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Local Police officers in Malaga have arrested the driver of a 'pirate' taxi as the alleged perpetrator of a crime against road safety for reckless driving. A patrol located the individual, who fled from the airport at high speed with a passenger inside the vehicle.

The incident was reported back in August when a police patrol on duty in the area was alerted by a licensed taxi driver that the driver of a parked car was trying to attract potential customers to operate as a taxi without a licence, the Local Police force said in a statement.

Officers intercepted the vehicle and proceeded to stop it at which point the driver began to accelerate and drove off at high speed, ignoring the police officers' instructions to stop. In an attempt to get away, the individual did not respect the right of way at two pedestrian crossings. He also endangered the safety of a taxi driver who was unloading a passengers' luggage and had to jump aside to avoid being run over.

In the end, the officers had to halt the pursuit, given the impossibility of catching up with him and the increasing danger he was putting all road users in.

With details of the vehicle's registration number and ownership checks, as well as the investigation carried out by the Local Police accident and investigation group (GIAA), and the recognition by one of the officers of the offender as a regular unauthorised taxi operator in the airport area, the individual was soon identified.

All attempts to locate the 'pirate' driver at his home were unsuccessful, so a daily alert was circulated to all police units with the car's number plate and a request was made to locate and immobilise it, which finally happened on 3 October in the vicinity of Bulevar Adolfo Suárez.

Police presence at the airport

The Local Police force in Malaga maintains a special surveillance system with regard to the transport of passengers, with interventions throughout the year against intrusion in the taxi sector and control of VTC at the airport and other areas of high demand, such as the port or the train and bus stations.

Both uniformed and plain clothes units carry out daily controls to deter 'pirate' taxi operators and sanction any offences.

The police presence is focused on the arrivals area in order to detect cars that are not authorised to transport passengers, while checking that the taxis that are carrying out services in the area are doing so within the established order.

Operating passenger transport services without a licence entails immobilisation of the vehicle until payment of a fine of 4,001 euros is paid for an offence classed as a very serious infringement.

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