Gardaí in Ireland’s North Western Region have seized a taxi and the driver’s phone after two women alleged they were falsely imprisoned following a late-night fare dispute.
The driver has not been arrested. Officers say the investigation is ongoing.
What the women allege
According to reporting by the Irish Mirror, the incident began late on Saturday 3 October in an unnamed town in the north-west, when a taxi collected three women after a night out.
One sat in the front; the other two sat in the back. They asked to be taken to an address outside the town. The car arrived, but the woman in the front seat said she saw the fare change from around €15 to nearly €40.
She challenged the driver and alleged he became aggressive. She then got out, intending to pay — at which point, the women later told gardaí, the driver locked the doors and drove away with the two passengers still in the rear.
They said he drove around the town for about 30 minutes and would not stop or let them out, before going to the local Garda station. There, after discussion with officers, the women paid €24 and the driver left.
On Sunday morning they lodged a criminal complaint of false imprisonment. Statements were taken.
Vehicle and phone seized
Detectives later obtained an emergency search warrant at a special Sunday sitting of a district court, then seized the taxi and the driver’s mobile phone the same day.
A Garda Press Office spokesman said: “Gardaí in the North Western Region are investigating all the circumstances in relation to a reported incident in the early hours of Sunday 4th October 2026. Investigations ongoing.”
No town has been named publicly, and no charges have been announced.
Passenger safety reminder
Anyone who feels unsafe in a taxi in Ireland should leave the vehicle when it is safe to do so, note the licence details, and contact gardaí. The National Transport Authority’s TFI Driver Check app lets passengers verify that a taxi, hackney or limousine and its driver are correctly licensed before or during a trip, and share journey details with someone they trust.
Complaints about licensed SPSV drivers can also be made to the NTA as taxi regulator, separate from any criminal investigation.