RIGA — A turf war involving rival Riga taxi companies escalated overnight, with shots fired at a vehicle belonging to the newcomer Baltic Taxi company.
The incident occurred while the Baltic Taxi driver was en route to the city center of Riga from Riga International Airport. According to Baltic Taxi board member Janis Naglis an as yet unidentified gunman fired shots from a dark-colored sedan which drove up beside the cab, resulting in broken windows. The female driver of the cab, which was not carrying passengers at the time, was uninjured by the attack.
An emergency city council meeting has been called tomorrow to discuss measures to contain the escalating drama. Members of the municipal and state police forces will also be present.
The latest incident follows Tuesday’s attack on a Baltic Taxi vehicle, which had its tires slashed and door damaged after being set upon by up to three drivers from a rival cab company in Old Town. The female driver was harassed after picking up several English speaking passengers.
Naglis said at the time the attackers were taxi drivers from the Rīgas Transporta Sabiedrība cab company, which drive white Toyota vehicles.
Riga City Council Deputy Mayor Ainārs Šlesers said today council would not tolerate taxi wars, saying city authorities cannot, “merely sit back and wait for the police to solve the situation.”
“Shooting has started, lives are under threat, passers-by could get hurt. We must act,” Šlesers said, adding that the council may take steps to revoke the licenses of cab companies acting in an aggressive and criminal way.
Baltic Taxi, which has been operating on a trial basis since mid-August, was officially launched on Monday. The company was established in cooperation with Latvian national airline airBaltic with the aim of offering an honest taxi service for tourists and locals in Riga. There are currently up to 70 taxi companies operating in Riga. The industry has come under increasing criticism for the unscrupulous and fraudulent practices employed against visitors and locals.
