A DUNDEE taxi driver got more than he bargained for when he picked up a fare yesterday—gaining an extra passenger en route as a baby boy was born in the back of his vehicle.

Tay Taxi’s Dougie Martin (56) received an urgent call to a home in the city’s Midmill Road.

Amy Penman told him she was desperate to get to Ninewells Hospital as she was in labour.

However, it quickly became apparent Amy was not going to make it that far—and Dougie was forced into becoming an impromptu midwife.

“I received a call around 7.30am to go to this house and was told to be quick about it,” Dougie said.

“I got the woman in the back of the car but we only got as far as the top of Pitkerro Road before it became pretty obvious she was going to have the baby very soon.

Mr Martin said, “I thought ‘here we go,’ so I called the office in Court Street and told them to get an ambulance because we were going to have a baby.”

He quickly drove to the Tay Taxis office near Mains Loan and prepared to deliver the wee one.

“The ambulance service were brilliant,” Mr Martin said. “They were speaking to me all the time. I had an earpiece on for my mobile phone already so my hands were free and I was working away as they talked me through it.”

Although caught on the hop, Dougie wasn’t totally out of his depth when the baby decided to make its entrance.

“I saw my own kids being born so I knew what was going to happen and I also had some first aid training years ago.”

A taxi driver for 23 years, and a veteran of many trips to Ninewells with expectant mothers, he has had “a few close calls” but yesterday was the first time Dougie had ever been called on to play midwife.

He was forced to adapt to the unusual circumstances, whipping off his shirt as there was nothing else to wrap the infant in until the ambulance arrived to accompany mother and baby to Ninewells.

“It must have been some sight at 7.30 in the morning, me stripped to the waist,” he said.

Amy already has two daughters Elissa (3) and Laina (4) and was eager to get back home to them with her as yet un-named son. Within a few hours of the infant’s arrival she was out of hospital and reunited with her family.

Last night they were visited by Dougie. When Amy thanked him for all he did, he replied, “I was just glad to be able to help.

“It was absolutely brilliant to be a part of the whole thing.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2006/10/31/newsstory8915062t0.asp