The case of a taxi driver who kept driving while facing a sexual assault charge has led to calls for change in how such situations are dealt with.
In 2013, a driver with Golden Triangle Taxi was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl.
He was convicted last week.
Until then, he remained behind the wheel – a fact which even surprised police when it came out in court.
“That was the impression that our investigation was under – that the cab driver was no longer driving actively after the charge had been laid,” Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson Olaf Heinzel said Thursday.
Currently, there is no policy in place for the Region of Waterloo – which licenses all taxis in the region – to be notified when drivers are charged.
The Golden Triangle driver’s case has prompted the region to work with police and local cab companies on reviewing how they handle similar situations – although a charge is not the same thing as a conviction.
“We have to be mindful of that fact that everyone has the right to be presumed innocent,” Heinzel said.
“What should happen in the interim – between the time the charge is laid and the time the outcome is determined in court?”
Cab companies are able to discipline their own drivers as they see fit.
At least one local company already has a policy in place.
“If anyone is charged, we suspend them indefinitely until the issue is resolved,” said Waterloo Taxi president Peter Neufeld.
Representatives of Golden Triangle declined to comment on this story.
The driver who was convicted of sexual assault last week has since had his licence cancelled.
