Several dozen taxi drivers demonstrated in Jerusalem this week after the funeral of a cabby thought to be murdered by terrorists. The drivers demanded that the government pay for more security measures.
The taxis, with horns honking and black ribbons tied to their antennas, filed past the prime minister’s office. The angry drivers massed at the intersection opposite the government building.
Rafi Cohen of Jerusalem, whose Tuesday funeral was attended by hundreds, was the fifth cabby to be killed in a year. He was killed on the Jerusalem-Ma’aleh Adumim highway.
The drivers complained of being unable to protect themselves because of insufficient security measures and legal constraints.
By law, they cannot refuse picking up a passenger. The drivers said preventive measures that have been adopted, such as installing a “distress light” on taxi roofs, were ineffective.
One of the measures the drivers are demanding are barriers between the front and back seats.
“Every night when I go to the car I am afraid. It’s a big problem,” said one driver, who identified himself only as Tamir.
“Now in this situation we don’t have protection in the car. Anybody can to go the car and kill us. We want protection like in New York.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
