Taxi drivers bite each other over road priority

Dubai Two taxi drivers have been accused of assaulting and biting each other when they brawled over road priority at Dubai Festival City, heard a court on Monday.

A 31-year-old Pakistani driver was said to be dropping off passengers in front of a store at Dubai Festival City while his 42-year-old countryman driver came from behind wanting to drive through the passageway in September 2017.

Once the 31-year-old driver drove ahead of his countryman, the 42-year-old blocked his way by moving his car to the front, according to records, before the two exchanged insults from behind their windows.

The 42-year-old drove forward and stopped few metres away before the 31-year-old chased him and stopped behind his vehicle and challenged him verbally to come out and face him.

The two Pakistani men indulged in a physical altercation before the 31-year-old bit the 42-year-old’s ear and chewed of a small chunk that he spat on the ground.

Meanwhile, the 42-year-old also bit his countryman in his hand before a security guard intervened and stopped the fight.

Witnesses reported the matter to the police that apprehended the two men.

Prosecutors accused the 31-year-old of biting the 42-year-old driver and causing him a permanent disability. The 42-year-old suspect was also accused of assaulting the 31-year-old driver and injuring him.

The 42-year-old pleaded not guilty when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

“I did not assault him and didn’t intend to cause him an injury. He assaulted me first and bit off a chunk of my ear … I pushed him away and acted in self defence,” argued the 42-year-old suspect before presiding judge Habib Awad.

The 31-year-old suspect failed to attend his trial on Monday.

Presiding judge Awad will hand out a ruling on December 27 and the 31-year-old suspect will be sentenced in absentia.