Cabbies have real hard times

From Neraca

The mass media and local dailies are often packed with stories of violence toward taxi drivers. Will this be an everlasting situation? And will this discourage cabbies from driving in the evening?

People now fear it might become very hard to get a cab in the evening, or if there will be any available at that time at all.

We can see taxis are vulnerable to hijacking, and their drivers the cruel victims of murder. In order to prevent the frequent occurrence of such incidents, routine police patrols alone are not enough during the day or evening.

Cabbies should be provided with a secret code, known to drivers and their company radio operator alone. They should also be equipped with a weapon! Not necessarily a sharp weapon, a Mace spray for use on criminals would suffice. This kind of defense against rape is popular with women. Would this weapon not benefit taxi drivers as well?

As for the police, who from time to time hold road checks in the evening -- why not in the morning too? Enthusiasm for such operations should be kept alive, even if crimes become far and few between.

Take action against drivers who tamper with taxi meters. Consumers have too often been cheated by such cabbies, their driver's license should be revoked.

Police officers often accept bribes and despite it being an oft recurring custom, we should be thoroughly ashamed it is still around.

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