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Hong Kong police have arrested a 39-year-old man accused of assaulting a taxi driver and stealing the cab after a dispute over the fare meter “running too fast”.
A force spokesman said on Monday that the man had been detained for seven offences, including the possession of dangerous drugs, theft, common assault, driving without relevant licences and third-party insurance.
“The passenger allegedly punched and kicked the 38-year-old driver during a dispute over the fare meter running fast,” a force spokesman said, adding that this happened while the taxi was travelling along the Tolo Highway in Tai Po.
The suspect subsequently drove off with the vehicle after the driver pulled over and exited the taxi, the spokesman said.
A source familiar with the matter said the 39-year-old had boarded the taxi on Nathan Road in Kowloon at around 4am on Monday, after booking the service through a mobile app with the destination set for Fanling.
A search for the taxi and the suspect began after the driver called police at around 4.30am.