There's been many horror stories in the media recently, concerning the way private hire drivers blindly follow Sat-Navs. We constantly see minicabs coming at us, the wrong way when driving along one way streets. We've seen numerous sets and incidents where these drivers collided with other vehicles, cyclists and even street furniture, as they take their attention off the road ahead concentrating too long on the small screen.
The report below is from the Daily Record and sadly shows just how dangerous these devices can be.
A 59 year old minicab driver, arrived at Ayr Harbour to pick up the harbourmaster shortly after midnight but it is feared he became disorientated due to the heavy rain and plunged into the water.
A minicab driver is missing feared drowned after he accidentally drove his car into a harbour.
The Record understands the 59-year-old man and his silver Skoda Octavia vanished at Ayr Harbour after he arrived to pick up the Harbourmaster.
It is feared he may have taken a wrong turn after becoming disorientated in the dark by heavy rain.
The private hire driver disappeared after he arrived at around 12.20am.
It later emerged CCTV cameras captured the car arriving at the harbour but it never left.
The man, who is from Ayr, worked for Prestwick-based Streamline.
The vehicle was fitted with a tracker but there has been no response from it since he went missing.
Sources said the driver appears to have simply taken a wrong turn and the incident is being treated as a tragic accident.
The Police contacted the coastguard just before 4.30am.
A search of the harbour, on the banks of the Firth of Clyde, was launched but it has so far failed to find any sign of the man or his car.
Divers from the underwater unit are expected to assist the search before darkness falls.
A police spokeswoman said the driver is being treated as a “high risk missing person”.
Streamline director Marie Wilkie said: “At this time we have no comment to make as we have had no official word back from the police as it is an ongoing investigation.
“In the meantime our thoughts are with the family at this worrying time.”
