Drivers fear to work at night; MURDER: Taxi stabbing heightens concerns over safety.

Byline: Christina Savvas

MANY taxi drivers are refusing to work nights because of safety fears after the brutal murder of one of their colleagues.

Private hire driver Mohammed Arshad was found dying of stab wounds by the roadside at Hopwood, on the Worcestershire-Birmingham border, on July 22.

His murder heightened drivers' concerns over safety and some claimed they lacked consistent police support.

The Private Hire Association in Birmingham is also calling for help with securing funding from Birmingham City Council to help pay for safety grilles and CCTV cameras.

Akram Hussain, of the PHA, said one in four drivers had stopped evening shifts or was considering it after the murder.

He said: "We need better safety measures in place. Everyone feels very nervous and frightened for their safety and this only happened at 8.30 on a weeknight.

"We get some hassle at the weekend but nothing like this - a murder.

"Everyone is just shocked by it and we need more to be done.

"It's not just the taxi drivers that are concerned, but their wives and families.

"There are no plans in place to strike at this moment but it depends on what happens with future meetings with police and what Birmingham City Council do to help.

"We will be having another meeting with police and if things don't improve then we will discuss the possibility of a strike."

At a meeting with police officers last week drivers asked for clearer communication channels between West Midlands Police and the taxi community.

Waseem Zaffar, from Unite the union, said the initial meeting had been positive and added: "We would urge taxi drivers in the city not to take action. Any action taken by drivers would be illegal and would not receive the support of the unions.

"We were encouraged to listen to the police response and to their commitment to developing an ongoing working relationship and we will support the initiatives."

Officers who are investigating Mr Arshad's murder have continued to appeal for witnesses after they confirmed that a call to Mr Arshad's firm came from a telephone kiosk in Kings Norton.

Detectives want to trace a man calling himself Peter who rang A Cars and asked for a taxi to pick him up from outside Broadmeadow School at about 8.20pm that evening.

Anyone with any information is n urged to contact West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000.