Whoddathunk?

(left, sign imitating the Bar Ilan trademark; right, an authorized Bar Ilan taxi sign) 

Taxis in Israel are required to be registered with the Ministry of Transportation, but they are essentially individual operators. Taxi “companies” are made up of independent drivers who pay a monthly fee in exchange for being included in the dispatch system of that company, plus the right to display the company sign in the front windshield.

In the last 15 years, that company sign has become more important, imparting a sense of trust and accountability. Many Israelis — and even more tourists — avoid non-affiliated taxis, for fear of inadvertently hailing an unregistered or unsafe taxi.

It’s not unusual for drivers unassociated with a company to have a one-off sign printed for themselves, with their name (or “company” name, like “Shema Yisrael Taxis”) and phone number on them. The theory is that the person hailing a taxi is likely to see only that there is a sign, not will not see what is written on the sign until after the taxi has gotten quite close, and the implicit agreement to take the fare is made. For the most part, that is quite true.

This is not especially about Arab vs. Israeli drivers, since many reputable taxi companies include both Arab and Israeli drivers (examples include Davidka Taxis and Rehavia Taxis).

One of the two largest taxi groups in Jerusalem is Bar Ilan taxis (they enroll Israeli drivers only). They are easily distinguished by a trapezoidal orange sign reading “Bar Ilan”, under which is the taxi call number, then the office phone number. Recently, they have also added flags on their roofs.

I have a couple of times seen a taxi using the sign of a defunct but reputable company. Today, though, I rode in a truly “counterfeit” taxi (click on image above for greater detail). The yellow trapezoidal sign reads:

Bar Alon Taxi

01

[cell phone number]

The sign clearly is meant to imply membership in the Bar Ilan group. Also, despite the imitative “BS”D” on his sign (an acronym for “with the help of Heaven”, common on documents of religious Jews), he was clearly an Arab. The driver also did not have the taxi owner’s and driver’s ID information posted in the car’s interior — a violation of the law.

Update:

According to Bar Ilan Taxis, the matter has been previously reported, and is under investigation by the police.