A taxi driver at the busy Amsterdam taxi stand Leidseplein was sentenced to two years in jail instead of the usual four for murder for beating a client, leading to his death (manslaughter). Last year, the taxi driver beat the man to death over the price of a cab ride. He dealt a deadly blow by going all amateur Jean Claude Van Damme on the man with his kickboxing. The court had asked for three years, but it turned into two and public opinion knows that if he’s nice he’ll get out even sooner, hence the commotion. This violent man has been in court before for threatening and assaulting three girls in 2007.

To give you some background, the taxi market in Amsterdam was liberalised a few years ago, out of town taxis were allowed to come and work in Amsterdam with little or no knowledge of the city and the situation is a general mess for honest taxi drivers and clients like me who need a cab at 3 am because I am carrying DJ equipment that won’t fit on my bicycle. There are many incidents, but this is really bad. The city of Amsterdam should really do something, but we don’t currently have a mayor and politics aren’t touching difficult issues until June.

As well, there is a constant claim that judges are too soft on sentencing in general, but I can’t judge (pardon the pun) if that is the case.

Back in October 2008 in Nijmegen, Gelderland, a 31-year-old taxi driver ran over a 29-year-old man because he refused to pay his taxi driver colleague.

(Link: spitsnieuws.nl)