Cabbies across the city are breathing a sigh of relief that a suspect has been arrested in the latest attack on a taxi driver.

"If there was a shield, this thing could not have happened," said Balraj Manhas, president of the United Cabbies Association of Edmonton.

"We can put a suspect in jail for a year or two years but it can't bring back the life of a cab driver."

On Friday, police charged a 17-year-old boy in the stabbing of a taxi driver on the south side. The taxi driver was picking up a male near 80 Street and 15A Avenue about 1 a.m. May 8 when he was stabbed. The suspect fled near 72 Street and 11 Avenue.

The driver pressed his emergency button to let his dispatcher know he had been assaulted. He was taken to hospital and is now at home recovering from his wounds, said Manhas.

The 17-year-old was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, uttering death threats, possession of a weapon, and four counts of breach of recognizance.

Knowing someone is behind bars for now was great to hear for Manhas.

"It's really good news for the cab driver community because everybody was asking questions regarding the safety of the cab drivers."

But he said it doesn't reduce the need for better protection. His association has been calling on city council to make shields in cabs mandatory and create a funding scheme to pay for them.

While some cabbies oppose mandatory shields, Manhas said shields and cameras are the best way to keep drivers safe, especially at night.

"The poor cab driver. He goes to work just for money in the night time and leaves his family at home. We take a risk at our jobs. The guys like that, they are sick and intoxicated or whatever the motivation was in this thing, they're very bad," he said.

In Edmonton, panic buttons, emergency trunk release buttons, and Global Positioning Systems are already required in cabs.

The teen was denied bail and is awaiting trial at the Edmonton Young Offenders Centre.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2008/05/11/5532201-sun.html