Pedestrians becoming frequent victims of racing cabs Down Under

Melbourne, Dec 15 (ANI): Pedestrians are becoming frequent victims of the fierce competition between Sydney taxi drivers over ferrying more and more passengers during the festive season.

According to the latest figures released by CBD's busiest hospital emergency department, one in five pedestrians involved in road accidents was a victim of a racing cab.

The study found that 17.8 per cent of pedestrian victims admitted to St Vincent's Hospital last year that they had been hit by taxis.

About 16.3 per cent of motorcyclist patients had also been hit by cabs.

Study author Dr Steven Faux, director of the rehabilitation unit at St Vincent's Hospital, said that 48 per cent of the road accident victims were pedestrians, 23 per cent were motorcyclists, and the rest were drivers, cyclists and passengers.

"About a fifth of pedestrians were hit by taxis; however, in the CBD the amount of traffic that taxis are responsible for is greater than for other cars," News.com.au quoted Faux as saying.

Dr Gordian Fulde, head of the emergency department at the hospital and a former taxi driver, said that the problem was getting 'worse'.

"Taxis are in a very competitive market," he said.

"If you go down Oxford St, you have this incredible race where taxis want to be the first in line.

"Obviously, it's a tough business, and now with the financial recession, it's even more tough.

"(Drivers) are trying very hard to get a fare, so their concentration's not as good," he added. (ANI)