Taxi drivers in the Turkish city of Istanbul could be sent to special “charm classes” to learn to be more polite and to learn a few foreign words and phrases.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the proposals come as part of a drive by the country’s government to improve the standard of goods and services available to tourists – and apparently the plans have gone down well with cabbies.
One told the newspaper: “Other drivers do not know how nice it is to get to know people from different countries. I am learning about their cultures and language. But most taxi drivers are jealous of my hobby – they don’t have much time to learn.”
The Telegraph reports that there is no central body governing Istanbul’s taxi businesses, and quotes the Footprint Turkey Handbook, which states that cabbies in the city have a “well-deserved reputation for driving too fast, overcharging and asking passengers for help with directions”.
