PHV firm bosses issue statement following viral social media post claiming a driver tried to take ad

A private hire firm in Glasgow has issued a statement slamming a viral social media post by a drunk female passenger that suggested a driver tried to take advantage of her.  A spokesperson for Network Private Hire Glasgow said “we are living in an age of trial by social media,” and added that the incident in question had been fully investigated. 

The company’s statement was issued following a social media post by the alleged victim which gathered around 8,000 reactions online in just 20 hours. In the post addressed to “girls in Glasgow,” the woman wrote: “Do NOT get in the taxi if this man is your driver. I have reported him but just in case he is still out there (Glasgow Network Cars).” 

She continued by saying: “Last night, I used Network Cars in Glasgow to order a taxi. I dropped my friend off on the way home and then, as he was driving, he realised I was drunk so drove the opposite way to my flat. When I realised this, he said, ‘No, I will drive you down this road to...Street’ when I had already told him three times where I lived. "I shouted at him to stop the car because I could see on his sat nav we were not going to my flat. He did not stop the car and continued to drive. I had to throw the door open and he would still not stop driving so I had to jump out the car and run, even though he was still shouting and laughing as I ran. “When my girlfriend came home, she checked my emailed receipt and it shows he drove 4.4 MILES!! And only charged my £7.70, therefore, he stopped the metre halfway through the journey. It is a 2.5 mile journey at the very very most and must have been circling for about 20 minutes around Bridgeton.” 

As reported in the Evening Times, screenshots were then posted of her in-app booking, which contained the driver’s details, and her email receipt. 

A statement by Network Private Hire Glasgow slammed the allegations made against the driver, and said: “We are living in an age of trial by social media and, contrary to the innuendo contained within a post on social media, the matter has been fully investigated. “This includes interviewing the driver, checking the booking that the customer made on their own via the app and the GPS vehicle tracking. “The driver unreservedly denies the allegation and was asked to drop the booker’s acquaintance at an address in the Townhead area (this was not contained in the original booking). The driver duly obliged. He then continued via the correct route to the customer’s address that they had booked. This can be verified via GPS vehicle tracking on our system.

 “The passenger asked the driver to stop and the driver stated that they were not at the destination on screen. The driver then stopped the vehicle approximately a couple of hundred yards from the desired address. The customer then threw £10 at the driver and left the vehicle. The driver tried to alert the customer that the fare was only £7.70, including the other drop, and was ignored. As suggested by the person making the post, the driver believes there was an element of intoxication involved.

“This driver is nearly 70-years-old, holds a Disclosure Scotland PVG certificate and, in his 15-plus years’ experience, holds an impeccable record. He is extremely concerned that he will now be subject to undue abuse of violence given the post contains his name and photograph.”

Image: Source; Pixabay