Cabmen to ask for asylum
Some 500 cabmen of Gyumri today addressed a letter to the Gyumri Mayor and Shirak Marzpetaran.
In the letter the cabmen protested against a recent government decision banning the use of 10-year-old cars as taxis. The protesters state that regardless of the car's age, the official checkup is enough for them to transport passengers.
They also complain of high taxes and yellow license plates which restrict freedoms of cabmen forbidding them to drive outside Armenia.
"We are confident that with these restrictions the government seeks
• to provide taxi-services owned by oligarchs and state figures with super profit
• promote the business of companies importing cars and taxi accessories (taximeters, headlights, license plates, etc).
•
Actually, instead of alleviating our concerns the government leads us to poverty and emigration," reads the letter
To champion their rights the cabmen are determined to fight till the end since they "have nothing else to lose."
The cabmen are going to hold meetings, marches and demonstrations in order to attract the attention of international community to their issue. They are going to ask foreign countries including Turkey for an asylum.
The letter was signed by 824 cabmen.
