A passenger hit him with a beer bottle in Brae Street about 5am and caused his head to bleed.

The driver told police that his assailant and three other passengers, two of whom were women, had made taunting and racist remarks about him before the assault.

He said he picked up the four passengers at Blacktown railway station about 4.40am.

He said they directed him to an address in Prospect, but became abusive after he appeared not to understand where they wanted to go.

It was then that a male passenger struck him with the bottle. The group left the taxi and the cabby drove off before calling police.

Blacktown police obtained the taxi's security camera footage of the incident.

The driver was treated in hospital and later released.

He said one of the passengers was a 28-year-old man, 190cm tall, of large build, entirely bald or with close-cropped hair and wearing only light-brown shorts.

Another he described as a 35-year-old man, of skinny build, with short brown hair and wearing black shorts, a green T-shirt and white sports shoes. The third passenger was a slim 35-year-old woman with shoulder-length brown hair and wearing a knee-length black dress and a white jacket. The fourth person was described as a 25-year-old woman, 150 to 160cm tall, of slim build, with short brown hair and wearing a knee-length black dress.

Call Blacktown police on 9671 9199 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.