By Jane Luscombe
Two young girls are without a father tonight after it's believed he was stabbed as he was driving his taxi in Auckland.
Hiren Mohini died shortly afterwards and police have launched a hunt for his attacker.
His friends and colleagues are now calling for a change in the law to protect all taxi drivers.
Co-workers and friends of Mr Mohini gathered outside his house all night to show their support.
Co-Op taxi driver Amit Kumar says Mr Mohini was kind natured and an honest worker.
“He was very, very nice, polite, gentle. He would never run after money,” he says.
It's unclear whether robbery was a motive. But it seems Mr Mohini was stabbed by a
passenger as they drove along View Rd in the Auckland suburb of Mount Eden late at night - his cab then crashed into a wall.
The impact set off an emergency device which alerted other taxis nearby.
Workmates raced to their friend's side hoping to help, but there was nothing they could do.
His death leaves two little girls, aged five and two, without a dad and his widow with no income.
Fellow driver and friend Pawan Malik says he feels a mixture of grief and anger.
“How many more families we create like this before we do something on this matter, the situation is very urgent, very risky,” he says.
Taxi drivers want the Transport Agency to change taxi regulations, requiring all cabs to contain a cage or screen protecting the driver.
A similar call was made a year ago when Christchurch driver Abdul Rahman Ikhtiari was stabbed to death. But it was considered a bad image for the city.
Mr Mohini’s co-workers don't care about image. The loss of their friend means they're unlikely to work at night again.
“Just too scary - definitely put me off working in the night. I probably won't be,” says Mr Malik.
The police are looking for a young man seen running towards Esplanade Road immediately after the crash.
The chairman of Co-Op Taxis, Ian Graham, told 3 News Mr Mohini had worked with them for a number of years and was an excellent family man, putting in the hours to provide for his family.
3 News