Cabbies in Bradford face more fare dodgers than ever before, a drivers' association said today.

The cabbies' representative group spoke out in the wake of the Stuart Lister tragedy.

Stuart, 18, from Steeton, died when he allegedly jumped from a cab after refusing to pay the fare.

The Keighley cab driver, Mohammed Riaz Shaban, 23, was banned for a year for failing to report the incident and obstructing police in the execution of their duty.

He was also fined £120 and given 120 hours community service.

The Bradford Association of Hackney Carriages today said cab drivers were increasingly frustrated at being left out of pocket by fare dodgers and the target for attackers keen to make easy money.

Chairman Shabir Hussain said he "had lost faith in the police and law" which "favoured criminals over cab drivers."

And he said drivers could do nothing to protect passengers who put themselves at risk.

He added: "We need tighter laws. The attacks on drivers are getting worse and worse and it seems that nothing is done to stop it. We go out late at night to try to make a living and we don't even know if we are going to make it back in the morning."

Mr Hussain said: "If we ring up the police and say we are having a problem they tell us it will be two hours before they can see us. Drivers are seen as a low priority."

Drivers could do nothing to protect people who jumped from their cabs or who were hurt in the course of a robbery or attack, he said. "We are here to drive people home not to be hit with hammers and crow bars."

This view was echoed by Bradford driver Jitendra Gupta who was recently set upon by a gang of men.

Mr Gupta, 52, from Hollybank Road, Bradford, was hit repeatedly with a metal bar in the incident in Tyersal which left him with stitches to his head.

"I drove away quickly and three men who were hanging onto the car fell off. Another was in the back and I drove towards town and a police station while he was hitting me. He eventually jumped out after half a mile."

Mr Gupta said: "I was scared for my life and just wanted to get out of there. Any of those men could have fallen under the car and been injured or even killed - should I be prosecuted for this?"

Linda Dixon, from Bradford and District Private Hire Association, said: "The police are usually very good" and added that many drivers had come to accept occasional fare dodgers as "part of the job".

A police spokesman said: "Bradford Community Safety team works closely with Bradford taxi drivers, giving crime prevention advice and discussing their concerns. We can assure the Hackney Carriage Association that we take such crimes seriously and are happy to talk about these concerns further."

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