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ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 18 January 2014 17 Rabial I 1435 - Volume 18 Number 5948 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY Obama bans spying on leaders of allies WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama yesterday banned US eaves- dropping on the leaders of close friends and allies and began reining in the vast collection of Americans’ phone data in a series of limited reforms triggered by Edward Snowden’s revelations. In a major speech, Obama took steps to reassure Americans and foreigners alike that the United States will take into account privacy concerns highlighted by former spy contractor Snowden’s damag- ing disclosures about the sweep of moni- toring activities of the National Security Agency. See also page 10 Ahead of talks, Syria offers concessions ISTANBUL: Syria offered several concessions yesterday ahead of crucial peace talks in Switzerland next week, including a “security plan” for the bat- tered city of Aleppo and a prisoner swap. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem announced the proposals at talks in Moscow as the divided Syrian opposition was set to decide at a meeting in Istanbul whether to join the so-called Geneva II conference. See also page 8 UN inspectors to visit Iran uranium mine TEHRAN: UN nuclear experts are to inspect Iran’s Gachin uranium mine later this month for the first time in almost nine years, its Atomic Energy Organisation said yesterday. “The inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency will travel to Tehran on January 29 to visit Gachin mine,” AEO spokesman Behrouz TAXI WOES Kamalvandi told Iran’s official IRNA news agency. Indian minister’s THE ISSUE wife found dead Taxi rides in Qatar are becoming that most cabbies keep the doors of their taxis they operate legally or illegally.” NEW DELHI: The wife of prominent locked, and open them for you to get in only Inadequate taxis on the roads, coupled with Pic: Salim Matramkot Indian minister Shashi Tharoor was increasingly nightmarish, with if they “liked you for some reason”. the problems cited above, are largely to blame found dead yesterday in a five-star hotel the hapless commuter not able And then, they quote a fixed fare and you for the mushrooming of illegal private taxis room in New Delhi after she exposed to hail a cab at odd hours and in must pay. Many of them don’t switch on in the country. his alleged adultery with a Pakistani the meter and many others use their cars “Most people not having their own cars journalist on Twitter. odd places. as shared taxis for certain destinations, in now depend on private (and illegal) taxis The body was discovered by human violation of rules. for daily commuting. They have permanent resources minister Tharoor after he ven if one succeeds in waving a taxi “Some taxi drivers demand different fares arrangements with these operators,” said an returned from a party meeting on to a stop or spotting one parked and from different people. They asked three Asian who himself pays QR600 to an illegal Thursday, his private secretary Abhinav waiting, ready to take in a passen- Nepalese for QR20 to ferry them from Al taxi operator to be ferried to his office and Kumar said. Eger, one needs to be lucky to get in Rayyan to Al Sadd, but the same amount back home on weekdays. See also page 13 and going. to carry me alone,” said an Arab expatriate. “This is true more for women office-goers,” For you to get into a taxi, the driver has to “The driver was an Asian,” he said, comment- he said. “They trust the illegal taxi opera- Four killed in clashes be willing to take you to the place you wish to ing on a social networking site. tors and not the ones passing you by casually, go to, for a fare he demands, of course. Someone who said he always took a cab though they are legal.” across Egypt Taxi drivers refusing passengers, not from home to a shopping complex and back Some say the old orange and white taxis using the meter in breach of rules, insist- at the weekend pointed out that he now had a were the best ones in terms of pricing and CAIRO: At least four people were ing on a negotiated — usually higher — fare permanent arrangement with a private (ille- service. “They were available all the time and killed as clashes between Muslim and threatening to drop you midway in some gal) taxi operator for the service. everywhere, and would ferry you anywhere Brotherhood supporters and police remote place if you refuse to part with that “I was fed up of the blackmail by taxi driv- within Doha for about five to six riyals,” said flared up across Egypt yesterday, secu- amount, are by now common woes people ers. Not only do they ask for a higher fare, an old-timer. rity sources said. narrate. but they are also arrogant and often refuse It is more than a decade since those taxis One man was killed by a gunshot to the Women are fearful of hiring a taxi, par- to take you after hearing the name of the were phased out and the state-run transport neck in the city of Fayoum, south of Cairo. PAGEticularly at night, as6 there have been media place you wish to go to,” said the person, not company came into being, and it was only Three people were killed in clashes in the reports suggesting some drivers misbehave wanting his name in print. much later that two other taxi operators, Cairo area. Two were shot and the circum- with them and even make passes at them. “I prefer this arrangement with both private, sprang up. stances of the other death were unclear. A passenger said on a local networking site the private taxi. I don’t care if Continued on page 2 See also page 9 AGENCIES www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 JANUARY 18, 2014 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Pics : Salim Matramkot Why do cabbies go crazy? A combination of factors makes taxi services chaotic BY RAYNALD C RIVERA & to compensate for his low income, charges to traffic congestion. salary after a strike held three FAZEENA SALEEM which is inadequate to cover his He said the time allocated for months ago. They have been pro- and his family’s needs. them to work was not enough, vided with good and comfortable DOHA: The meagre salary taxi He works on a rental basis and that if given the chance he accommodation. We were promised drivers receive is among the and says making an honest living was willing to work additional “I receive QR1,400 a month, big perks when major reasons that force them using the meter would not do any hours to reach his daily target. and I have to remit at least QR200 to dupe passengers in order to good for his family of five. “Another problem is when we after working 12 hours every day; they hired us. A earn extra bucks. “When I used to switch on the return the taxi late by even one so when I reach that amount I monthly salary Aggrieved passengers arguing meter I hardly made the QR265 minute, we are charged QR27,” he don’t use the meter anymore,” of QR1,200, with with taxi drivers over a costly ride rental fee, but now that I have said, adding that QR27 was the said a driver from Alijarah, add- has been a common scene lately. stopped using it, I am able to raise minimum charge and it goes up ing that many of his colleagues additional overtime Even though much has been said the rental fee, and on top of that by the hour. did the same. payment and living and written about this in the local earn QR80 to QR200 daily,” he Hamid also bemoans his living But, he said, there had been allowance, but it media, it seems all the talk has said. conditions, which include strict cases of drivers intentionally fallen on deaf ears, and no solu- “We are only allowed 11 hours prohibitions on cooking and doing remitting less than the minimum was different when tion is at hand. of work daily, so every moment laundry in their living quarters. amount for many days, sometimes we started the job While some drivers manipulate counts. But traffic jams caused “We understand it is company for months, “so that they get ter- the taxi meter to their advantage, by road construction are every- policy, but the monthly laundry minated and can return to their here. others don’t use it at all, and where, which adds to our woes. fee is QR35, so I asked a friend of country.” instead negotiate a fare with the Normally it takes around 10 min- mine if I could wash my clothes “They are those who cannot customers that is much higher utes to travel from City Centre to in his house,” he said. cope with the situation and just than the metered fare. Mansoura, but now it takes 20 to For food he goes to cheap caf- want to go back home without Hamid, a Karwa driver, doesn’t 30 minutes; imagine how much eterias. Sometimes some regular finishing their contract. But they use the meter and admits he usu- time I lose,” he said, attributing customers and friends offer him don’t have money to pay for the ally charges five to ten riyals more the higher than normal fare he free meals.