Montreal taxi driver loses licence following sexual assault accusations

A Montreal taxi driver was stripped of his taxi licence earlier this month, more than a year after industry officials received its first complaint about his behaviour from a female passenger.

Ben Romdhane Lotfi, a driver with 10 years experience, was arrested by Montreal police in November. Between April and October 2016 Montreal's taxi bureau received three complaints about his behaviour, two from the same women.

But the bureau didn't take any action until one of its inspectors reported seeing a woman's hand appear in the front window of the car Lotfi was driving, according to evidence presented to Quebec's transport commission, which oversees the taxi industry.

When the inspector stopped the taxi, the commission's ruling notes, the woman leapt out and ran away. She is not part of the charges filed in the case.

Lotfi​ was charged with three counts of sexual assault several days after that incident. Last Friday, following a June hearing, the transport commission ruled he could no longer drive a cab, saying his behaviour was "not justifiable" and hampered the security of taxi customers.

Lotfi​ has not yet been tried on the sexual assault charges.

Picked up alleged victims at night

The transport commission's ruling details the allegations against Lotfi. It is alleged Lotfi​ picked up the passengers he's accused of assaulting overnight, often as they were coming out of bars in downtown Montreal.

Lotfi reportedly asked female passengers to sit up front with him, where the assaults are suspected of having taken place. He admitted to the commission that there was physical contact, but denied assaulting his clients.

"Sometimes he finds friendly clients and acknowledged being attracted to them," the ruling notes, summarizing Lotfi's testimony.

"For him it's normal that they hug. They are not sexual assaults."

​The first count of sexual assault is alleged to have taken place April 16, 2016. That female passenger filed a complaint with the city's taxi bureau.

About a month later, according to the commission's findings, the same passenger realized she was again inside a cab driven by Lotfi.

She refused to speak with him, but he repeatedly asked her to hug him and wouldn't stop the cab when she first asked, the ruling adds.

When asked about the allegations, Lotfi is reported having said the events were "vague" and "like a dream."

"The events reported by the complainants are not, according to [Lotfi], important or grievous," the commission noted.

"For him, it's normal to caress.… If he touched clients of his, he doesn't really remember and if it's the case, he's sorry."

Continued driving cab after arrest

​But, in its ruling, the commission said Lotfi​'s explanations weren't credible and that he "tries in every way to trivialize the event and forget the reality and nature of the gestures."

The commission said it came to the conclusion he had in fact done what he's accused of, though he hasn't been found guilty in criminal court.

Lotfi​, according to the commission ruling, temporarily stopped working as a taxi driver after his arrest.

His bail conditions included that he not engage in paid or volunteer work that would place him in the confidence of a women, or that he drive a female customer as a taxi driver.

But the commission's ruling also makes clear that Lotfi resumed driving a cab last year. It notes that he continued to drive women, despite his bail conditions.

Lotfi maintained to the commission that because of how the conditions were worded in French — not to drive a female passenger — he could drive multiple female passengers.

At the hearing, Romdhane also said he downloaded the Uber app after he was arrested, but doesn't plan to use it.

His next court appearance, on the sexual assault charges, is scheduled for Oct. 4.