Post by Ayres on Sept 14, 2005 20:48:07 GMT -5
A WARNING was issued on September 8 to taxi firms in Derry after a nationalist driver was attacked with bricks near the Irish Street interface on September 6. Michael Doherty (30) said he was shaken up but determined not to quit following his ordeal at the hands of a gang. The incident was the latest in a spate of sectarian attacks on drivers from cityside firms in the Waterside.
The North West Taxi Proprietors said it was now becoming almost impossible to provide taxi cover for the whole city. Michael Doherty had just dropped off a fare in Top of the Hill and was driving towards Altnagelvin Hospital when he came under a hail of bricks. The passenger window was smashed in, showering him in glass before he escaped from the area at around 10pm.
"It's just lucky there was no-one in the passenger seat," he said on September 8. "Four or five guys just came running out with scarves over their faces and started firing bricks at me. These weren't wee bricks and it was not children or young ones throwing them. When they hit the window I had to swerve and hit the island and I just avoided hitting the railings. I was just thinking, 'I can't get stuck here, no way'."
Mr Doherty, who only began taxi-ing three months ago, added: "This was definitely a sectarian attack but I won't let this get to me. I will keep taxiing but I would just be more wary in future."
The taxi firm have asked that their name is not revealed.
