Shaken and stunned, the driver shut the door, only for the male to start bashing the bottle against the window glass.
He was afraid the glass would shatter, so the driver got out of the taxi, only for the male to start attacking him again, he says.
But by now, the bottle was broken, “making it even more scary”.
The female, meanwhile, had kicked him in the back and thighs, before getting into his vehicle and trying to drive off.
Police said they received a call about 10.50pm on December 25 reporting a male and female assaulting a taxi driver near the port in Port Chalmers.
Senior Sergeant Mark Crawford said members of the public who came to the driver’s aid helped police with information on the movements of the alleged offenders.
Port Chalmers, Dunedin. Photo / Supplied
Information from the public helped lead police to a Port Chalmers address, where the male and female were arrested about 1.40am the next morning.
The pair will appear in the Dunedin Youth Court in due course on charges of assault with intent to injure, police said.
Crawford said the incident “doesn’t represent what our community stands for”.
“We saw members of the public determined to help someone in need, and they have our thanks.”