Canberra, Feb 8: An Indian-origin taxi driver in Australia, who was acquitted of raping a young woman, has said that he has often been offered sexual favours as payment for fares and the practice is becoming very common in the industry.

Prabhjit Singh Gill, 37, said he knew of nearly 60 taxi drivers who had been offered sex and knew of many who took up the offers.

“You drive, you pick up a girl, and they have no money,” news.com au quoted him, as saying.

Gill, who was recently acquitted by a District Court jury in Perth of raping a 25-year-old female passenger, said he had never accepted any sexual favours for payment.

Gill’s friend, Amrit Pal Singh, was found guilty by the jury of raping the woman in the back of his cab in a North Lake carpark, while she was drunk and semi-conscious after a party.

Gill said during court hearing that he had gone to the car park to deliver drinks and had seen the pair having sex but had not had any contact with the woman.

He was cleared of the charges, but he would no longer be able to work as a taxi driver.