Teenager shuts down sober driving service

May 17, 2016

Tyler Broughton has shut down his sober driving service. Photo: Google Images

A teenager who set up a sober driving service has ended the venture after receiving threats.

Tyler Broughton, 17, from Hibiscus Coast, is a budding entrepreneur. In 2014, he started a business called “Hibiscus Coast Odd Jobs”, which involved labouring, landscaping and gardening.

With the success of the business, Mr Broughton decided to create a sober driving service. “There was a huge need up on the Coast for a new taxi service or sober driver service,” he says. “Because I always heard of people drink driving, and that was something I wanted to prevent.”

Mr Broughton launched the service in February, creating a Facebook group called “Coast Delivery” where customers could ask for a lift home from a particular location, or have fast food delivered.

A month later, he received a threatening text to stop the service or he would face physical harm.

“I was just doing a private job catering for a wedding and I got a couple of texts sent through to me which were quite concerning,” he says.

“It scared me to the point where I wanted to put a hold on it,” he adds.

The student went directly to the police the following day. He was advised to shut down the service.

“It could just be threats but until I actually know who it is I don’t want to take any risks.”