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Munich taxi driver in hospital after attack by British tourists

A taxi driver had to be hospitalized in Munich on Monday evening after three British tourists refused to pay their fare and then attacked him.

Published: 25 October 2016 14:20 CEST

Munich taxi driver in hospital after attack by British tourists

Photo: DPA

The three men got into the taxi on the Schwanthaler Höhe, in the area of town where Oktoberfest was held at the beginning of the month, police report.

The 49-year-old taxi driver started driving them to their hotel, but stopped upon their instruction after a few metres, as they told him they were waiting for a friend.

But moments later, the men got out of the vehicle and said they didn't want to ride with him any further.

The taxi driver felt that the men should pay the charge already on the taximeter and ran after them to demand €5.

It was at this point that the three tourists attacked him, with each of them punching him in an assault which left him with such serious injuries that he needed to be treated in hospital.

After a speedy search of the area for the culprits, police were able to arrest the men shortly afterwards. The tourists were then taken into detention at Munich police headquarters.

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Paris drivers fined and banned after tourists charged €230 for airport taxi trip

Illustration photo: Philippe Lopez/AFP

Taxi fees from the airport into the city are capped at €53 for the Right Bank and €58 for the Left Bank, but tourists are frequently ripped off by unlicensed drivers who operate at airports and large train stations.

The latest case involved passengers who arrived from Hong Kong on January 1st and were charged €230 for the trip into the city centre.

This time the taxi drivers’ association L’association les Nouveaux Taxis Parisiens brought a civil action against the scammers, fed up with the overcharging which, they say, brings their profession into disrepute.

READ ALSO What you need to know about taking a taxi in Paris

Three men were brought before the court over the scam and produced a convoluted tale of extra charges for clearing up vomit from drunk passengers, which the Hong Kong tourists denied, while one man claimed he had only been at the airport to buy Nespresso capsules, to which the magistrate replied ‘Mmmmmm’, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

The driver was fined €200 for overcharging and banned from driving for a year, while his accomplice was banned from driving for six months. Both were ordered to pay €1,000 in damages. A third man, who was not present but whose legitimate taxi license the unlicensed driver was using, was given a €1,000 suspended fine and ordered to pay €1,000 in damages for complicity in the illegal practice of the profession.

Jean Barriera, leader of the taxi drivers’ association, said afterwards that he did not think the sentences were severe enough, adding that he had brought the case: “To defend the image of cabs. It’s the whole profession that these individuals sully.”

Paris, Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Toulouse and several other French cities have fixed rates for taxis, you can find the full list here.

However these only apply to official taxis. If you are using a VTC service like Uber the price will vary depending on availability, although it will be fixed before you get into the car.

Unlicensed drivers are common at airports and stations including Gare du Nord. French taxi drivers are not allowed to solicit for fares, so if someone approaches you and offers you a taxi they are probably unlicensed – instead go to the taxi rank to find an official vehicle.

Click here for the full list of rates and what you need to know about taking a taxi in France.

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