A Penrith woman has shared a frightening account of a taxi ride on Castlereagh Road.
She claims the driver locked the doors during a dispute and refused to let her out.
The alleged encounter appeared in a local Penrith NSW community Facebook group. The woman warned other passengers to stay alert, especially women travelling alone.
The post included a taxi registration number. This article has not republished it because the allegation remains unverified.
The Short Trip That Went Wrong
The woman said she caught the taxi at around 12.05pm.
She wanted to travel to a car hire company on Castlereagh Road in Penrith. According to her post, the destination sat only a short distance away.
She claimed the driver looked up the location on Google Maps, then cancelled the search.
That immediately made her uneasy.
The woman said the driver then started heading away from the destination. She knew the area and believed he missed the correct turn.
When she pointed it out, the situation became tense.
Passenger Says She Asked To Get Out
The woman claimed she became upset because the trip should have been short.
She believed the driver tried to make the fare longer by taking the wrong way.
After the disagreement escalated, she asked him to pull over.
She said she wanted to get out and walk the rest of the way.
According to her account, the driver refused at first.
She claimed he locked the doors and kept yelling at her. She said she yelled back and repeatedly told him to let her out.
Taxi Eventually Stopped At Ampol
The woman said the driver eventually stopped at the Ampol service station on Castlereagh Road.
She claimed he then tried to charge her $32.
She argued the fare because the trip started on the same road as her destination.
The woman said she refused to pay the amount.
She also claimed the driver made nasty comments before he left.
Business Tried To Complain
The woman said the company that helped arrange the taxi later heard what happened.
According to the post, staff tried to contact the taxi company and make a complaint.
The woman claimed the person who answered the phone became defensive.
She said they would not let staff explain the full story.
The call allegedly ended when the person hung up.
Good Samaritan Stepped In
The woman said a passer-by named Bee noticed her after the taxi left.
Bee had been leaving the Ampol station at the time.
The woman said Bee stopped, checked on her, and safely drove her to the car hire company.
She thanked the good Samaritan in the post.
“So glad a good Samaritan named Bee who was leaving the Ampol station stopped and checked on me,” she wrote.
Warning For Other Passengers
The woman urged other people to stay cautious when using taxis alone.
She also warned passengers about taxis with automatic doors.
Her concern was that a driver could lock the doors, leaving a passenger unable to open them.
“It was so scary,” she wrote.
The allegation has not received any public response from the driver or taxi company.
No official investigation has been confirmed publicly.
What NSW Taxi Passengers Can Do
NSW passengers have options after a bad taxi experience.
They can report safety concerns to the taxi company, booking service, or taxi facilitator.
If the issue does not get resolved, they can contact the Point to Point Transport Commissioner.
Passengers can also report fare issues, including alleged overcharging.
The NSW Taxi Fare Hotline handles complaints about taxi fares.
Passengers should write down key details as soon as possible.
That includes the taxi number, registration, driver details, time, location, and fare amount.
Receipts, screenshots, and booking records can also help.
If someone feels trapped, threatened, or unsafe, they should call police immediately.
A Local Post That Hit A Nerve
The details of the Penrith taxi encounter remain unverified.
Even so, the post struck a nerve with locals.
The woman’s account touches on a fear many passengers understand.
Most people expect a taxi ride to feel safe and simple.
For this passenger, a short trip allegedly turned into a frightening ordeal.
Her warning is clear.
Trust your instincts, keep trip details, and report any ride that feels unsafe.
