KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — The public is seething over two cases of cabbie violence against women passengers this week.

Whether the attackers were actually cabbies or were driving stolen cabs, the taxi service continues to get a battering.

While doubts linger, both cases have further weakened the taxi sector in its ongoing battle with ride-hailing services.

The latest victim was a 23-year-old Uzbekistan student who suffered a broken backbone when she was robbed in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and dumped in a huge drain 50km away by a rogue cabbie yesterday.

On Monday, a 28-year-old woman sustained scratches on her face when she was robbed at knife-point by a taxi driver in Subang.

Both the cases add to horror stories of taxi drivers preying on women, racism, overcharging and poor service — all of which have badly tarnished the image of the taxi service.

Foreign women have frequently complained about drivers:

• quizzing them about their sex lives and preferences;
• asking them for sexual favours; and
• hugging, kissing and groping.

The victims, many in their teens or early 20s, said they felt they had little option but to play along or suffer in silence for fear of worsening the situation or finding themselves dumped by the roadside at night.

The victim in the latest case, Lichkovaxha Tatyana Borisnova, cannot recall what hit her after a night of partying at a bar on Wednesday.

She had hailed a taxi near KLCC to return home but instead found herself in a drain at Bukit Beruntung. She was found hours later by passers-by.

Borisnova told reporters at the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital she could not remember what happened because she was intoxicated.

She refused to provide details as she had language difficulties and was still traumatised by the ordeal.

Borisnova was later transferred to Selayang Hospital for surgery on her back.

Police said the cabbie took her on a terror ride before grabbing her handbag which contained RM100 and her mobile phone.

He then pushed her out of the moving car. She tried chasing the taxi, only for the driver to return and push her into a drain.

Police are investigating the driver’s route through CCTV recordings at toll plazas and where the victim was picked up.

The victim in Monday’s case said upon arrival at her destination, the driver whipped out a knife and ordered her to be silent.

He put the knife to her right ear while brandishing a gun-like object and forced her to hand over her valuables.

In April, city police detained 14 suspects who preyed on taxi drivers and used their vehicles to rob unsuspecting passengers.