Breaking Update
Following an indictment filed by the Ministry of Transportation
A Lod taxi driver was ordered to pay NIS 8,250 in compensation for overcharging an autistic passenger, with the court condemning the act as an ethical failure.
Following an indictment filed by the Ministry of Transportation
Lod Taxi Driver to Compensate Autistic Passenger NIS 8,250 for Exorbitant Fare Collection
Court: “Exploiting the distress of a person on the autistic spectrum is a severe ethical and moral failure”
Severe sentence for a taxi driver who swindled an autistic passenger. A taxi driver from Lod who charged an autistic passenger an exorbitant fare of NIS 825, instead of approximately NIS 290, will compensate him NIS 8,250. This was ruled by a judge at the Traffic Magistrate’s Court in Petah Tikva.
In addition to the compensation, the Magistrate’s Court judge sentenced the taxi driver to a NIS 6,000 fine, a 60-day actual suspension of his public driving license (taxi operating license), and 150 hours of community service.
Furthermore, the court imposed a three-month suspended sentence on the taxi driver’s driving license for a period of three years, and obligated the taxi driver to sign a commitment of NIS 20,000 to refrain from committing a similar offense for three years.
Following a post published by the passenger’s mother, the Enforcement Division of the Public Transportation Authority at the Ministry of Transportation decided to open a criminal investigation against the taxi driver. At its conclusion, the National Prosecution Department at the Ministry of Transportation filed a severe indictment against the taxi driver in court.
The indictment states that the passenger, who is on the autistic spectrum, ordered a special ride via the “Gett Taxi” app from Holtzman Street in Rehovot to Ariel University. The taxi driver confirmed the order and arrived at the pickup point to collect the passenger.
Before starting the journey, the taxi driver asked the passenger for his mobile phone, entered an alternative destination of Nes Ziona, canceled the order on the app, and demanded an exorbitant fare of NIS 825 from the passenger, including a tip. This was despite the maximum fare the taxi driver was permitted to charge for the ride being only NIS 296.
Ten minutes into the ride, the passenger informed his mother about his taxi journey, stating he was asked to pay NIS 750 (excluding tip). In response, the passenger’s mother demanded to speak with the taxi driver on the phone.
During the conversation, she informed the driver that the fare he had charged was excessive and demanded that he return the money and adjust the fare to the requested destination, emphasizing the passenger’s limitations. However, the driver did not heed her request. At the end of the ride, the taxi driver charged the passenger an exorbitant fare of NIS 825, including a tip. This was despite the cancellation of the order on the app.
The judge ruled that this was a despicable act worthy of universal condemnation, justifying an aggravated sentence for the defendant beyond the minimum threshold. He stated, “The defendant was aware of the passenger’s disability but chose to exploit it for financial gain. Exploiting the distress of a person on the autistic spectrum for financial gain is not merely a property offense but constitutes a severe ethical and moral failure. The defendant did not even see fit to retract his actions, despite the passenger’s mother’s pleas to return the money he took, and this too must be reflected in the sentencing,” the judge added.
