Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Robbery-bid man’s threat to shoot city taxi drivers
FEARS have been raised for the safety of taxi drivers in Dundee after a botched robbery bid at an EV charging station.
A taxi driver was “fearing for his life” after an incident at Balgay Street Car Park early on Sunday morning.
Police were called to the scene, near Farmfoods in Lochee, just after 6am.
The driver, who did not wish to be named, said a man began punching his taxi after demanding cash.
He told The Tele the man also made a threat to “shoot him” and his colleagues, who rushed to his aid.
The 32-year-old said: “I’d just finished my shift and was about to charge the car up. The guy approached me saying he needed money to get home, before I gave him £3.
“He then began asking for more money and was getting aggressive by punching the car windows. His hand was bleeding and I was starting to fear for my life. I thought he was going to break the glass.”
The driver said three colleagues rushed to his aid before the man began to back off and then made more threats.
He added: “I’ve been a driver since 2016, but I definitely think the streets in Dundee aren’t safe any more.
“I thank my colleagues who attended, but the guy said he was going to get a gun and shoot us.
“The police did arrive, but I don’t want to be dragged into a police investigation regarding this person.”
Chris Elder, who represents some Dundee taxi drivers through Unite the Union, said security around EV charging points needs to be reviewed.
He said: “This incident over the weekend is concerning. There have been concerns raised about the security at these EV charging points in recent times.
“From a driver’s perspective, they are carrying money bags and could be an easy target. There are also council workers and members of the public using these charging points and they are exposed.
“Whether it’s placing gating around these sites, and providing passes to get access, the security needs reviewed.”
A Dundee City Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of these concerns and are monitoring the situation.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We received a report of a disturbance at Balgay Street, Lochee, Dundee, around 6.25am on Sunday March 31 2024.
“Officers attended, all parties traced, no complaint was made and there were no reports of damage.”