WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from Italy


ITALY OFFERS FREE TAXI RIDES TO STOP DRUNK DRIVERS


Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, has proposed that inebriated people should be given free taxi rides home from nightclubs in order to curb incidences of drink driving. The proposal, supported by several night entertain- ment venue associations in Italy, is that people leaving nightclubs intent on driving home will be breath- alysed, and if their alcohol levels are found to be above the legal limit, a free taxi to their home will be provided. Salvini tweeted: “The idea, born after meetings on road safety with influencers and content creators, provides for the payment of transport by the transportation ministry to those who when exiting discos, exceed the limit set for driving.” A trial of the scheme will roll out at six venues across Italy from this August until mid-September. “Not only fines and rules,” Salvini added. “To stop the slaughter, we need to involve everyone in prevention.” Some critics have suggested that the scheme “rewards” excessive alcohol consumption, while others appeared to resent that their taxes would contribute to funding this transport. According to data from 2019 from the Carabinieri and police published by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), around 8.7% of the 58,872 road collisions with injuries reported in Italy involved at least one driver under the influence of alcohol.


from USA


NYC TAXI DRIVER, 60, BEATEN UP BY GANG OF THUGS CAUGHT ON VIDEO


Disturbing footage shows a New York taxi driver being beaten up by a group of five men and women in view of horrified onlookers. The 60-year-old takes punches and kicks before slumping to the floor against his yellow cab on a bustling Manhattan street. NYPD is investigating the incident which occurred in broad daylight. In the appalling footage, three women and


PHTM SEPTEMBER 2023


two men can be seen assaulting the cabbie, using their shoes and fists to hit him. After falling to the floor, the cabbie is terrified as a woman continues to aim kicks on his torso, despite another man in the group pulling her away. Throughout the ordeal, the cabbie tries to shield his head with his hands, while onlookers just watch on. The cab driver was taken by ambulance to hospital in a stable condition. Police say the driver had become involved in a heated argument before it turned physical and confirmed that two suspects were arrested at the scene.


from Mexico


TAXI DRIVERS IN CANCUN SMASH CAR WINDOWS, THINKING IT’S AN UBER


Armed with stones, two taxi drivers smashed the windows of a vehicle on July 27 in Cancun, because they thought its driver worked for Uber. This is not an isolated incident: in Cancun, taxi drivers regularly attack alleged Uber drivers or their customers, even though the ride-sharing service has been legal for several months. In their view, Uber is a threat to their business and posing unfair competition. In a video of the incident, a woman can be heard protesting: “Don’t hit the car!” as two men in white shirts jump around a vehicle, before hitting its windows with stones. The car then sped off with the boot open. A suitcase fell to the ground. Seconds later, a woman, clearly a tourist, is seen crying. The video was posted on Facebook profile and shared online before it went viral, racking up over a million views. Many Mexicans expressed their exasperation at the attitude of the taxi drivers. The Cancun police announced that the two taxi drivers had been arrested and charged with theft, damage and injury, while specifying that no firearms had been used.


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