Amsterdam taxi companies promise to tackle discrimination

Taxi companies in Amsterdam are working with the municipality and the Amsterdam region's Discrimination Hotline to take measures to combat discrimination. This was prompted by an incident during Pride Amsterdam last year, when a taxi driver refused to give Pride ambassador Jennifer Hopelezz a ride. With Pride 2019 a month away, the taxi companies signed a declaration of intent for a discrimination-free taxi market, NOS reports.

The declaration includes three measures. Taxi drivers in the capital will be educated about discrimination and will receive help to prevent and combat it. If discrimination happens, appropriate measures will be taken within the involved taxi companies. And taxi companies will appoint someone to raise awareness about discrimination among taxi drivers.

The declaration of intent was signed by all Amsterdam Authorized Taxi Organizations, Uber, ViaVan, Dutch transport association KNV, the municipality of Amsterdam, and the Discrimination Hotline. "This is actually about treating people the way you want to be treated", the director of one of the taxi center said, according to NOS.

"We want everyone who gets into a taxi in Amsterdam to feel welcome and able to be themselves", alderman Sharon Dijksma of Traffic and Transport said. "There is no room for discrimination."

Jennifer Hopelezz is happy with this step and hopes that the initiative will lead to taxis in Amsterdam being safe for all residents of the city to use. Being refused a ride is "a daily reality for drags, fetishists, transgender people and anyone who stands out", the dragqueen said to NOS.