B.C.'s taxi industry is renewing its call for protective shields in taxis to deter violence against drivers, following an early Wednesday morning stabbing in Langley, B.C., which sent a driver to hospital with serious wounds.

A driver from Bonny's Taxi was robbed and stabbed in Langley, B.C., Wednesday morning, suffering serious wounds to the neck and wrists.
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The 45-year-old driver from Bonny's Taxi was robbed at knifepoint and suffered slash wounds to his wrists and stab wounds to his neck, Langley RCMP spokesman Cpl. Peter Thiessen said.

"Our serious crime unit along with our uniformed members are currently in the downtown core area following up, attempting to locate a suspect," Thiessen said Wednesday afternoon.

The incident occurred at 6:45 a.m. at 56 Avenue and 201a Street. The passenger was picked up in Surrey and made several stops en route to a convenience store in Langley, police said.

The cab driver was robbed of cash after being attacked, Thiessen said. He was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital with significant blood loss.

Emon Bari, a supervisor at Bonny's Taxi, says his drivers run into a lot of violence on the job.
(CBC)

The suspect is described as Asian, in his 40s and wearing dark clothes, Thiessen said.

A supervisor at Bonny's Taxi said more action needs to be taken to protect the safety of cab drivers in the province.
 
"I'm scared. It's happening to my drivers all the time," Emon Bari said Wednesday. "I am angry because something needs to be done here."

Almost all Lower Mainland taxis now have surveillance cameras installed and while they can help identify a suspect after a crime has been committed, they are a limited deterrent, Bari said.

'If that's what the taxi industry believes is the right answer … I certainly won't stand in the way as minister of transportation.'— Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon

"It would be better if there was a glass cage. My driver would be working. His family would be fine," he said.

Physical barriers that shield cab drivers from attack are expensive to install, Bari said. Many taxi drivers would like to see barriers made mandatory and to have the cost subsidized by the provincial government.

B.C.'s Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said Wednesday that his government is prepared to work with the taxi industry and consider mandatory shield legislation in light of the latest attack.

"If that's what the taxi industry believes is the right answer and they're supportive of it, I certainly won't stand in the way as minister of transportation," Falcon said.

"We'll be very open to looking at that."