Private Hire firm gives driver the boot after homophobic rant towards gay woman

A private hire driver has been sacked by his operator after subjecting a young lesbian passenger to a homophobic tirade. The woman, was visiting her girlfriend in Reading on Sunday, February 10, when the incident happened. The incident was reported to GetReading by the victim’s girlfriend after she received a call from her partner who was in floods of tears. The private hire driver, who worked for Reading based minicab firm Capital Cars, began telling her about how marriage should only be between a man and a woman and how she should find a 'real man'.

The woman, who asked not to be named through fear of reprisals, added the incident in Reading, Berkshire, had left her partner, who had travelled for six hours to see her, "traumatised". The manager of Capital Cars, Shahid Ahmed, told getreading that the driver’s behaviour was unacceptable, explaining that his (the driver) level of English was not very good and there may of been a problem " with what he said and what he was trying to say". He went on to say add that the firm does have strict rules when it comes to certain topics discussed with passengers. He said that drivers are not allowed to discuss anything political or anything religious with passengers because everyone's views and beliefs are different so therefore avoiding the possibilities of offending.

A letter of apology was sent to the women involved and the driver was relieved of his duties with Capital Cars. Ahmed said: "We condemn the driver's behaviour.This is not the way we want to run our business."