WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS
Beirut was eerily quiet as protesting drivers blocked its main highways, some with burning tyres. “There was a time when a taxi driver’s son could become a doctor or an engi- neer,” said cabbie Hussein Assam, 55, who was protesting near central Beirut’s once thriving Hamra Street. “Now the taxi driver can’t even feed his children.” Lebanon’s crippling economic crisis has been described by the World Bank as one of the worst in the past century, and unions have routinely held protests and strikes since the government officially ended state subsidies in October. A full tank of gasoline now costs more than the monthly minimum wage.
from Nigeria
FOUR TEENAGE GIRLS CAUGHT WITH FRESH HUMAN HEAD IN TAXI
A group of four teenage girls, who are said to be stu- dents of a secondary school in Lagos State, have report- edly been caught with human parts concealed inside their school bags. According to Headline News, the young girls were discovered after a taxi driver who carried them to school them raised the alarm when he perceived a foul odour coming from his cab. The driver noticed the bad smell inside his vehicle and handed them over to the gateman of their school. When they checked their school bags, they found human heads inside . Law enforcement officers then reportedly arrested the girls. The incident is coming at a time when the prevalence of ritual killing among youths is in the limelight. Only a few weeks ago, there was a national uproar when four
MARCH 2022
teenagers in Ogun State were caught in the act of perform- ing a money ritual after they had beheaded the girlfriend of one of the members of the gang. The young boys, who claimed they had got the procedures for the ritual via Facebook, were burning the young girl’s head in a pot when they were caught. Similarly, two minors, both aged 15 were caught in the act trying to use a 14-year-old girl for rituals in Bayelsa State.
from Thailand
FINE AND POLITENESS TRAINING FOR PHUKET CABBIE WHO VERBALLY ABUSED TOURISTS
A Phuket taxi driver who was in- volved in a fracas which saw him unload a tirade of verbal abuse on a Thai tourist couple has been fined B1,000 (£25) and sentenced to three hours of politeness training. The penalty was announced at the Phuket Provincial Hall where taxi driver, Jetsada Kahapana, 48, was called to explain his actions to Phuket’s Vice Governor and a Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) official. Mr Jetsada said that he had met with the police and denied all allegations. He said: “I want this incident to end as soon as possible since I don’t want my actions to tarnish my career’s image.” A formal complaint against Mr Jetsada had been submitted by Mr Phol, son of a celebrity, after he was accosted by Mr Jetsada who was angry at being called a cheat over the amount he charged for a journey. Mr Jetsada maintained it was a fair price for transportation in his 10-seater VIP van. Mr Phol argued that he had no choice over the taxi he could hire at the rank and that Grab/Bolt drivers refused to pick up in that area over fear of reprisals from the taxi rank drivers. The PLTO chief admitted that the incident had made an impact on Phuket’s tourism image and that strategies were to be discussed to release the stranglehold of Phuket’s taxi operators and the fares they charge. The last time Phuket’s officials asked the taxi cartels to reduce their fares was in 2016 and they flatly refused. No further action was taken. Four main issues were addressed at the meeting with poten- tial solutions for each discussed.
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