3 drivers killed in accident By Gyasi Gonzales Story Created: Aug 27, 2010 at 12:55 AM ECT A TAXI-DRIVER believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel along the Uriah Butler Highway in Chaguanas yesterday morning, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into two other cars, killing himself and two other motorists. The three people killed were taxi-driver Errol Francis, 66, Basdaye Poochoon, 51, and Sherwin Thomas, 29. The accident occurred shortly after 5 a.m. just after the Endeavour Flyover and caused a massive traffic jam as far south as Gasparillo. - more... Trinidad Express - (Port of Spain, Trinidad) Taxi drivers call for highway patrol cops at night By Cecily Asson Friday, August 27 2010 Taxi drivers still traumatised by the death of their taxi driver colleague, PC Jason Thomas on Monday night, while plying the Chaguanas/Curepe route yesterday told Newsday that despite their fears, they still have a public duty to perform. “Everybody frighten right now, but we still have to work,” one driver said as he hustled passengers on the Chaguanas taxi stand. “There is not much we can do, but to exercise caution — a life has been lost and we feel it.” Thomas, 37, a police officer assigned to the Couva Municpal Police was shot dead by three men who hijacked his car Monday night. According to a police report, around 8 pm, the father of two of Cashew Gardens, Chaguanas was plying his taxi along the Chaguanas/Curepe route when three men pretending to be passengers hijacked his vehicle at gunpoint. A report said he switched off the engine and exited the car with the keys in his hands. He was shot several times in the back and collapsed on the road and bled to death. Three suspects said to be 16, 20, and 26 were subsequently held and are in police custody. Trinidad & Tobago's Newsday - (Port of Spain, Trinidad) Slashed Muslim cabby tells Bloomberg he's proud of NYC By SALLY GOLDENBERG, JAMIE SCHRAM and BILL SANDERSON Last Updated: 11:15 AM, August 27, 2010 America is still his dream country, and New York his dream city -- despite the nightmare Ahmed Sharif suffered at the hands of a knife-wielding maniac drunk with anti-Muslim rage. "Still, I have a view of the knife when I close my eye," Sharif said yesterday after meeting with Mayor Bloomberg to talk about a savage assault amid heightened tensions over the Ground Zero mosque controversy. But the Bangladeshi immigrant said he's still glad to be a New Yorker. "I feel like I belong here," he said. "This is the city actually [for] all colors, races, religion, everyone. We live here side by side peacefully." Asked if he believed the brutal attack allegedly carried out by drunken film student Michael Enright was related to the mosque debate, Bloomberg said he couldn't be sure. "I can just tell you whether it's related to anything or not," he said. "It's disgraceful." The reason for the attack was clear to Sharif. "Of course this was for my religion," the cabby said. "He attacked me after he knew I was a Muslim." Speaking on the City Hall steps after his mayoral confab, Sharif still appeared to be in a lot of pain. He had dozens of stitches from the knife wounds, which included a slice from the center of his throat up to his jaw line. - more... New York Post - (New York City, New York) Consultant's report rankles Regina taxi industry Saskatchewan News Network August 27, 2010 The City of Regina is looking for feedback on a newly released consultant's report that recommends big changes to how the city's taxi industry is regulated -- and that industry is expressing concerns. In May 2009, city council asked for a report on the taxi industry. At that time, deregulation of the industry was one of the ideas council members said they wanted the $45,000 report to examine. Between December and April, Ray Mundy of the Tennessee Transportation and Logistics Foundation conducted research and completed a lengthy report for the city. In it, he offers a package of recommendations for "light regulation" -- which, overall, is more regulation than currently is in place. Among the recommendations, the report suggests the taxi industry be required to upgrade dispatch technologies to include GPS, computer-based dispatching, in-vehicle electronic processing for credit cards and cameras. By 2013, the report recommends no vehicles older than six model years be allowed to go into service as taxis. Also recommended are dress codes, approved by city hall, for drivers and requirements for drivers to have resided in the city and country for certain time periods before they can drive. - more... The Star Phoenix - (Regina, Saskatchewan) Third taxi company OK'd by Peabody City Council By Bella Travaglini, Town Correspondent The Peabody City Council has made way for a third taxi company to operate in the city. North Shore Taxi, owned and operated by a father and son team, is set to begin business on Wednesday, Sept. 1, said Sean McKinnon of Peabody, who will work as office manager for the business owned by his dad, John McKinnon of Danvers. The new taxi company will have five vehicles – four sedans and one minivan – and will operate round-the-clock, seven days a week, as is standard for most taxi businesses. Sean McKinnon has worked in the business for seven years, most recently as a driver and office manager for Community Taxi of Peabody. He believes he and his dad have identified a niche that may be lacking in the way other local taxi businesses are run. “We’ve been thinking about this for a long time and want to provide safer and cleaner vehicles and the kind of service the people of Peabody deserve,” said McKinnon. - more... The Boston Globe - (Boston, Massachusetts) BOT Amends Taxi Franchise Ordinance Written by Joe Scotchie Friday, 27 August 2010 00:00 Contracts Reduced From Four Years to One Year At its Aug. 23 meeting, the Village of Massapequa Park board of trustees voted to amend its local law concerning the Taxi Franchise Ordinance. The village had previously awarded a four-year franchise to a local taxi company. The new law reduces that contract down to one year. Mayor James Altadonna said the BOT amended the law in order to make the entire process more competitive on a yearly basis. The new law, he added, would allow a taxi company that loses a bid the opportunity to come back the following year and bid again, rather than waiting another four years. “By keeping it yearly, we keep our prices extremely competitive,” the mayor said. “It is a benefit to our residents to have competitive prices. Phil Fortuna of Checker Cab Company objected to the amendments. “We feel that by having a one year contract, the village gives the incumbent the edge,” Fortuna said. “The investment we have to make costs money.” - more... Massapequan Observer - (Mineola, New York) Hail to the Cabbies: 9 Awesome TV Taxi Drivers by Ryan McKee, posted Aug 27th 2010 3:04PM This week, a boozed-up bigot slashed Muslim cab driver Ahmed Sharif in New York City. TV Squad despises hate crimes of any kind, but especially those that happen in our backyard against our taxi-driving friends. We love cab drivers. How else could we make it across Manhattan with minutes to spare so we're home in time to watch some primetime television? In honor of Sharif's bravery -- and cab drivers everywhere -- here are our nine favorite TV cabbies. We would happily be frightened by their wild driving anytime. 9. Angry Cabbie from 'Seinfeld' - more... TV Squad - (Internet) |
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Updated aug 28 @ 04:49 GMT
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