TAXI FOCUS
tell her sons it was just a cat. But when they arrived in Vrnjacka Banja, the woman told her twins to get out of the taxi before admitting to the driver the basket con- tained a baby girl and asking him to find someone to look after her. Mr Mitrovic said: “She asked me if I could find a woman with whom she could leave the child. Then she opened the basket and showed me the baby. I had expected to see a cat. “I didn’t know there was a baby in the basket. I heard something like a baby’s cry. One of the children asked his mother what it was, and she said it was a cat.” The woman reportedly told the driver she was frightened her hus- band, who had not even known she was pregnant, would harm the baby if she took it home. She then gave him 40 CHF (£30) to buy milk for the baby. Mr Mitrovic agreed to take her daughter for a short time and gave the woman his number but when she did not call him, he took the baby to a local hospital, fearing the woman would simply dump it in a park if he did not. The girl was then transferred to the Studenica General Hospital in the city of Kraljevo. The baby weighs 2.8 kg (6 lbs 3 oz) and is said to be in good health. A hospital spokeswoman said: “She has established all vital func- tions, she is happy and healthy, and we hope that she will remain so.” Police have since tracked down and arrested the baby’s mother, whose name has not been released. She reportedly told cops she was a nurse who had been working away in Switzerland. She had delivered the baby herself after hiding her pregnancy from her hus- band and children. The police investigation is ongoing and it is not yet known whether the woman will face charges.
utilising taxis, and they too have com- plained how frustrating it can be to determine whether or not an oncoming vehicle is vacant, “reserved” or “off shift.” However, according to the Japan Times, now Teruo Isshik, owner of taxi company Kamereon Jidosha K.K. will commence service of what is claimed to be the world’s first taxis that change the entire vehicle’s body colour to indicate the vehicle’s status. The pale pink colour, which Isshiki said was designed to closely approximate the hue of Japan’s most beloved species of sakura (cherry blossoms) - can be switched on or off at the driver’s prerog- ative. “If you look at one of our cars coming down the street, say, at dusk on a rainy day, it sticks out like a flamingo among a bunch of crows. You can’t miss it!” he said. Isshiki credited his brother-in-law, Akira Momota, for the new inven- tion. In an interview at the company’s office in western Tokyo, Momota said he obtained a utility patent several years ago for a process that expedites the colour changes in so-called ther- mochromic color-changing paint pigment. “Thermochromic pigment, which was first developed in the 1970s, is chemically structured to change colour in response to temperature changes,” he explained. “As the temperature goes up, the pigment becomes colourless, revealing the base coat or graphics underneath. The quick-change process enables the car to change colour within approximately 90 seconds, irrespective of the ambient temperature. And watching a taxi turn from lime green to cherry-blossom pink, as did this reporter, is truly an amazing spectacle to behold … and one guaranteed to bring a smile to the viewer’s face.
from Japan
TOKYO TAXIS SHOW OFF TRUE COLORS TO MAKE RIDE-HAILING EASIER
With the Olympics - and an anticipated influx of even more foreign tourists - a lit- tle more than a year away, local compa- nies are finding more ways to get in on the act of showcasing Japanese know how and enhancing the overall experience of visitors. Take taxis for exam- ple. While the in- dustry is world- renowned for its white-gloved drivers and automated doors, there is still room for improvement. In Japan, vacant vehicles display in red LEDs the Sino-Japanese characters of kusha (literally, “empty car”) to indicate that they are available for hire. Naturally, the sig- nage is lost on many tourists visiting from abroad. Foreign visitors aren’t the only ones hampered by taxi displays. Due to the rapid aging of Japan’s population, more elderly people are
Taxis that change colour to indicate their status
MAY 2019
from Ghana
GHANIAN TAXI WITH SUSPECTED STOLEN GOATS IMPOUNDED
Police in the Ashanti Region of Ghana have impounded a taxi cab loaded with goats, suspected to have been stolen. According to Modern Ghana, Police Chief S u p e r i n t e n d e n t Stephen Egissah told reporters that a patrol team intercepted the taxi with the goats last month. He said the team were on their normal night patrols on the Kumasi- Accra highway when they spotted a Toyota taxi. They became suspicious and decided to give the vehicle a chase. He said when the taxi driver realised that the car was being trailed by the police, he stopped and together with another person got out and ran into the bush. Superintendent Egissah said when the patrol team inspected the abandoned taxi, they found 14 live goats in it. The taxi cab and the goats were taken to the Divisional Command. The Commander said investigations have begun and are appealing to people who had experienced vehicle or goat thefts in recent times, to report to the command to assist in investigations.
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