Protesting taxi drivers bring Warsaw to a standstill

Around 1,000 taxi-drivers from across the country protested in Warsaw yester day against the introduction of a law which would oblige workers to install cash registers in their taxis from March. A column of cars drove through War saw to the Finance Ministry, paralyzing the city center. "Cash registers are a major expense, around zl. 3,000," said Pawel Biedrzycki, President of the Warsaw-based Private Transport Association. The registers are to be introduc ed in order to monitor the income of drivers. At present, taxis are equipped with meters, in accordance with European standards. "So what is the purpose of a cash register, if all the data is already recorded in meters?" asked Bi edzrycki. "Meters do not give reliable information for the tax office, unlik e cash registers," responded Jaroslaw Slawomirski, spokesman for the Finance Minister. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A5) A.C.