Police investigate ‘altercation’ between taxi driver and Edinburgh Airport boss
● Bitter row over fare pick-up at drop-off point
A row in front of shocked passengers ended with Edinburgh Airport boss Gordon Dewar lying on the bonnet of a taxi.
Driver Iain Hunter accused Mr Dewar of repeatedly blocking his route while Mr Dewar claims he was run into.
Both men have reported the row last Tuesday outside the terminal to police and officers are investigating.
“He just lay across my bonnet,” said Mr Hunter, 59, from Loanhead near Edinburgh. “I told him he must be off his head. It’s all caught on CCTV.
“He said he was the CEO of Edinburgh Airport and I said, ‘you’re Gordon Dewar? What a fool you are.’”
Central Tax is driver Mr Hunter told how he picked up a university student fare for the airport last Tuesday morning shortly after 10am.
“She was obviously going back home after university and she had loads of bags so I dropped her off in the disabled bay because there is nowhere else to park – it’s just a shambles,” he said.
“I got her bags on a trolley and three guys approached me, said they were only going to the Gyle and got in.”
But Mr De war is understood to have told police he was walking past and trying to clamp down on taxi drivers “touting” for business.
Rival firms City Cab sand Edinburgh City Private Hire currently both operate the ranks in a joint venture pro - viding transfers to inbound passengers at the airport.
“All of a sudden this guy stuck his head through my window and said I can’t do that. I asked who he was and he said it didn’t matter who he was,” added Mr Hunter.
“I told him I’m a taxi driver and that if he’s an official of the airport he should identify himself.
“He said he was going to take my photo and I told him he’s not allowed to do that – just a photo of my vehicle not me. He said he could do what he wants.
“I went to pull off to the right and he stood in front of me. Then I tried to the left and he did the same. Then he just lay across my bonnet. It’s outrageous what he’s done and he shouldn’ t be allowed to get away with it.
“It went on for five or six minutes and he should be embarrassed with himself. He was acting like the big ‘I am’. He’s not allowed to do that, he’s not the police.
“The three guys in the back thought it was all a bit of a laugh at first but you could tell it was getting serious.”
Mr Dewar was unhurt and there was no damage reported to Mr Hunter’s Mercedes cab.
An Edinburgh Airport spokesman said :“This is a matter for Police Scotland.
“We work closely with the police to ensure all drivers adhere to the rules and regulations of operating safely in our Drop Off zone.
“We have recently strengthened this work to crack down on illegal touting and will continue to monitor the area to ensure drivers are operating legally.”
A police spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh have received two reports relating to an altercation which took place in the Edinburgh Airport Taxi Drop-off Point on 14 May and enquiries are ongoing.”
‘I went to pull off to the right and he stood in front of me. Then I tried to the left and he did the same. Then he just lay across my bonnet. It’s outrageous’ CENTRAL TAXIS DRIVER IAIN HUNTER