Istanbul taxi driver who harassed tourist detained

ISTANBUL - Demirören News Agency

A taxi driver who allegedly overcharged and sexually harassed a Thai tourist in Istanbul’s Şişli district has been detained.

Units from Istanbul police’s traffic division identified the 32-year-old driver after footage purportedly showing his abusive behavior towards the female tourist started circulating on social media.

The Thai tourist claimed that she coincidentally took the taxi that she previously traveled with and whose driver overcharged her on a previous trip.

This time, she recorded what happened during the second trip on her mobile phone.

During the ride, the driver chatted with her and touched her hand twice.

When she was about to leave the vehicle at the end of the journey, the driver tried to overcharge her by asking her to pay more than what she would pay normally for the trip.

At the police station, it emerged that his driver’s license had been suspended.

His work license has been revoked and he has been banned from traffic until he obtains the required documents from the Istanbul Municipality.

He was also fined a total of 6,528 Turkish Liras ($ 1,190) for not using the taximeter and other violations of rules.