Posted on the 14th August 2026 in PHTM News

BRADFORD PRIVATE HIRE QUESTIONS STAYING IN THE TRADE AFTER ROCK SHATTERS CAR WINDOW

A Bradford private hire driver has shared harrowing dashcam footage of the moment a rock was hurled through his vehicle’s window, an incident he believes was a premeditated attack.

Aftab Shah was driving a passenger from the Bradford Interchange along Halifax Road shortly after 12:30am on Monday, July 27, when the projectile shattered his side window. The rock narrowly missed his neck, leaving the driver shaken and questioning his future in the industry.

"Honestly, I got the shock of my life," Mr. Shah told the Telegraph and Argus. "The rock missed me by maybe a couple of inches."

Mr Shah suspects the attack was set up to force him to stop his vehicle. He reported seeing a fluorescent pipe or a similar object placed in the middle of the road just before the incident. "I think they purposely must have thrown something in the road," he stated. "As soon as I went over it, that’s when the rock came through".

For Mr Shah, the trauma was compounded by his past experiences. Two decades ago, while working in Woodhouse, he survived a near-fatal attack in which his throat was slashed. He had only recently returned to the profession, having spent years avoiding night shifts, and was working this particular shift as an exception.

"I felt vulnerable because of what happened in the past," he explained. "I kept on driving a little bit further up the road because I thought if I stopped there, somebody might do something else."

When he eventually pulled over to contact the police, he described a tense 30-minute wait for officers to arrive, during which he remained trapped in his car, terrified that the perpetrators might return.

"I’m sat in the car looking all around me thinking, 'Is somebody else going to come and get me?'" Mr Shah said. "It makes me wonder, why am I still doing this job?"

West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that they received a report regarding the incident. The dashcam footage, which Mr Shah released to highlight the dangers faced by drivers, has sparked renewed concerns about safety for those working in the trade.


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