A large gathering of taxi drivers and members of the Sikh community outside the Hastings District Court.
A large gathering of taxi drivers and members of the Sikh community outside the Hastings District Court.
Taxi drivers and members of the Sikh community gathered in a show of solidarity in Hastings on Monday after a taxi driver was bashed and left unconscious.
Family of the victim and community members are considering holding another event to raise awareness and help prevent further serious attacks in Hawke's Bay.
The incident happened late on Saturday night in Flaxmere and resulted in a 62-year-old taxi driver - who is married with two children - suffering serious injuries.
A friend of the victim says the cabbie, who had been in the job only a month, was found unconscious and bloodied when emergency services arrived at the scene.
The man was initially taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital, but was later flown to Wellington Hospital for treatment.
As of Monday, he was in a stable condition in Wellington Hospital.
A Givealittle page has been set up by his family to help with his recovery.
A picture of the victim, Joga, shared by his family on a Givealittle page.
The alleged offender, a 32-year-old man, has been arrested and charged over the assault and was granted bail on Monday in the Hastings District Court during his first appearance.
He has interim name suppression and is due back in court in August.
A large gathering of taxi drivers and members of the Sikh community gathered outside the court on Monday to show solidarity for their friend and also display their growing concerns about violent attacks in the community.
Multicultural Association Hawke's Bay former president Sukhdeep Singh, who is a friend of the 62-year-old victim and was at the gathering, said it was worrying.
Singh said the cabbie was a good, humble man and had a wife and children.
"He's been here for many years in Hawke's Bay and is a community leader in Havelock," he said.
The taxi driver was initially taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital (pictured) before being transferred to Wellington. Photo / NZME
"We don't know at the moment why it happened and why [the alleged offender] assaulted the taxi driver, we don't know the whole story, but we are really concerned and we are planning to raise our concerns with the police by a formal letter saying 'can you look into this and put in steps to try and prevent it from happening again'."
Another taxi driver was also seriously assaulted near Havelock North in 2020.
"It is a huge concern," he said. "This has to be stopped."
Singh said taxi drivers he had spoken to since the latest incident were concerned about their safety. He said some were even considering changing jobs.
"This is quite shocking and very, very sad for the community."
He said he understood police had already spoken with some of the concerned taxi drivers and agreed to meet and hear more from them about what they wanted to see done in terms of helping protect their safety.
Singh said the Sikh community and taxi drivers were considering holding an event in Hawke's Bay to raise awareness and to try to put a stop to serious violence against them.
