DENPASAR – Drivers of Bali’s Blue Bird taxis are reported to have asked for police protection following protests and violence by drivers from other taxi groups.
“Our drivers are afraid of those who violently sweep our taxis on the streets. The protesters urge our passengers to get off the taxi,†a Bali Blue Bird spokesman told the Antara news agency.


Denpasar police chief Sr. Comr. Gde Alit Widana said that the police had sent squads of officers to safeguard Blue Bird offices on the island.
The police will also monitor and take action against violations on the streets, he added.


Previously, hundreds of local taxi drivers staged a demonstration demanding the closure of the Blue Bird taxi company in Bali for allegedly operating on the island without a permit.
Local ministers have decreed that the Blue Bird fleet is operating without a permit but it is believed that a compromise has been reached with the government authorities – if not rival taxi companies.
The owner of Blue Bird taxis has agreed to remove from the fleet Blue Bird branding, including decals on the front windscreens and drivers’ uniforms.
