COVID 19: Taxi driver drives passenger to police station for not wearing face mask

A drunk passenger in British Columbia, Canada was taken directly to the Victoria police station by a taxi driver for refusing to wear a face mask and flouting the COVID 19 safety protocols, police told the Times Colonist.

The passenger was acting belligerently and repeatedly tried to touch the taxi driver’s face, the paper reported.

The driver called 911 just after 1 a.m. to report the issue. When the taxi arrived at police headquarters, officers met it outside, according to the Times Colonist.

The man, who at first refused to leave the cab, was taken into custody and fined nearly C$700 – C$230 for each charge – for failing to wear a facial covering, abusive or belligerent behaviour and failing to comply with an officer, according to the paper.

In British Columbia, residents are required to wear face masks in public indoor spaces, including cabs, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The incident was one of 102 police calls in Victoria on Thursday, most of which were reports of gatherings that were too large.

More than 606,000 Canadians have been infected with the coronavirus, and at least 15,880 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.