Thursday 4 July 2013

Bogotá creates 45 "safe zones" to take taxis

Bogotá's transport authority set up 45 "yellow zones" in the Colombian capital where it recommended travellers take a cab, in a bid to allay public fears about the risks of taking a taxi on the street, Bogotá's Radio Santa Fe reported on July 3. Police regularly advise people not to take taxis on the street, especially at night, and media have observed that the capital's thousands of taxi drivers include an unspecified minority of former criminals. The broadcaster did not elaborate on the security system, but cited the authorities' list of street sections where safe taxis could be found. A Bogotá court separately ordered jailed five suspects recently caught with arms, drugs and credit cards thought to have been robbed from taxi passengers, Radio Santa Fe reported on 2 July. Police were reportedly alerted about their suspect conduct and presence in a hotel in central Bogotá on 20 June, and inspection of one or several rooms revealed items including firearms and forged documents. The five were to be charged with possessing arms, drugs and forged documents, Radio Santa Fe reported.