Two men charged after attack on Calgary cab driver

CALGARY – Kuldip Mangat is rethinking his 15 year career as a taxi driver after being attacked over the weekend.

He says the trouble started when he was dispatched to a home in Riverbend  that appeared to be hosting a party late Saturday night.

“When i got there like five peoples tried to get in my cab. I said no you cannot. Five people are not allowed right? Only four people.”

Mangat claims one of the men spilled a drink on him, he got out of his taxi and the partyers attacked him.

The city says these kinds of violent incidents are rare and the riskiest time to be a cab driver is between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

According to the city livery department in charge of taxis, drivers are trained to follow a number of rules. It says the most important one is to stay in your cab.

“We can’t emphasize enough that taxi drivers not get out of their cars. If you are in a situation where it’s going to escalate… stay in your car it’s the safest place for you to be,” says Mario Henriques, Spokesperson with the City of Calgary Livery.

Some cities legislate partitions in cabs. Calgary isn’t one of them, but does use surveillance cameras.

Mangat’s attack was caught on tape and the video will be used in the prosecution.

Two men are charged and a safety review is underway.