Watch out – taxi!

„He must be a mafioso, he's completely like some taxi driver from Prague,“ a grandma whispers in her grandson's ear about a driver, who has just brought her home. Awful reputation of Prague taxi drivers has permeated not only to guidebooks, but also to the popular American comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls. What's more incredible is that a city of one million is jerked around by a handful of about sixty indecent drivers, while there are no problems with about 4,000 of their decent colleagues.

Prague's deputy mayor Rudolf Blažek, however, reminded of the city's helplessness two days ago: He asked the trade union's headquarters for help in fighting taxi drivers who overcharge, terrorise their competition and attack customers. The idea that the ongoing war will be over after the trade unionists intercede might raise smiles. Other measures implemented by the city hall, however, indicate that something is really happening on the streets. The question remains, why now and not earlier?

It's not working

Mr. K. is calm by nature. Nevertheless, when he is to talk about what he went through as a taxi driver this summer at a taxi spot in Prague's city centre, he becomes nervous and wants to remain anonymous. He was sitting in his taxi at a taxi spot near Old Town Square and rolled down his car window in the July heat. As usual, taxi drivers from the notorious rival Prague taxi…