LONDON CABS GIVEN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO CENTRAL TAXI RANKS

As of this morning, only the new "London taxis" are permitted to park on certain streets in downtown Baku, including the central arteries of Nizami and Samad Vurgun. The Transport Ministry Security forces and police forced other taxis to leave the area.

The public taxi drivers condemned the Transport Ministry's new policy as unjust, violent and discriminatory. "We have 5 year licenses from the Transport Ministry. We pay taxes every month and make very little money to support our families. During the early hours of this morning, we encountered violence on the part of Transport Ministry employees, and I was forced to leave the street by the Nasimi monument," said one Lada driver.

Another driver claimed that this new regulation entails a government monopoly over taxi transport. "According to the Constitution, all citizens are equal before the law. Why do the police defend the taxis that are under control of the Ministry, but use force to expel law-abiding drivers who possess licenses from the very same Ministry?"

"We are beautifying the city. All the news cabs are the same color. They are wide, comfortable and nice. Other taxis are different," said a driver of a so-called London cab, who was later discovered to be a Ministry employee.

The taxi drivers called upon the Azerbaijani government to abide by the constitution and other laws, and to protect their citizens' rights. The drivers said that they are planning to hold a protest on October 30th, in front of Ulduz underground station.

Видео LONDON CABS GIVEN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO CENTRAL TAXI RANKS канала OBYEKTIV tv