Customer beaten to death by cab driver

Rob Sitek, just had become a dad again

Rob Sitek (44), a father of three, was beaten so severely by taxi driver Sidi Mohamed Belghiti (37) from Den Haag/The Hague, Sunday morning on Leidseplein in Amsterdam, that he died shortly thereafter in the hospital. Sitek wanted to take a cab home but thought the price was inflated. Reason for the cab driver, a former Moroccan kickboxer to beat him full in the face. Belghiti was arrested by policemen witnessing the scene.

Paramedics seemed to initially be able to revive the severely injured  man. That same afternoon however he died in a hospital without having regained consciousness.

The crime took place around 4.20 am at the taxistand at leidseplein. Sitek had said goodbye to his brother André with whom he had been out and had wanted to eat a snack before taking a taxi home. There have been complaints about the cabdrivers at this spot for some time already. They refuse short rides, inflate prices, take customers for a ride, fight, intimidate customers and hassle women. Leidseplein however is not the only taxi trouble spot in Amsterdam. In fact, taking a taxi anywhere in Amsterdam is a big risk, both for your wallet, as well for yor safety..

Job –try to keep things together by drinking tea- Cohen fortunately is ‘shocked’. Well, I guess it all will be allright then.

Amsterdam alderman  Hans Gerson (63) (traffic) wants to take emergency measures at Leidseplein. He said that most likely next weak already, extra watchmen will be placed at Leidseplein, as already has been done since june at the taxi stand at Central Station, another known trouble spot regarding cabbie behaviour. 

The alderman also is going to insist to politicians in The Hague to speed up the new taxi-law. The problems in the Amsterdam taxi wold –according to the alderman- begun in 2000 when the scene was liberalised. Ever since everybody may operate a cab. De  „We have slowly come into a well known emergency situation, so it should not be so difficult to get this done” said alderman Gerson.

 

 

 

Ron Sitek, paramedic of the year, was also priviliged to get acquainted with the tolerance of certain ‘new’ Dutch citizens.

Rob Sitek is the brother of André Sitek (46), ex- pro soccerplayer in Haarlem, and of  paramedic and Amsterdam citizen of the year Ron Sitek (53) (photo). Ron Sitek himself received death threaths last year while he was tending to a Moroccan man who was stabbed. He received these threaths from the brother of the victim. VZA-ambulance service went on strike out of protest that same night.

Rob Sitek, is father to three daugthers: two teenagers and one of 11 months old. The family is shaken by the taxi violence. They say that the violence could easily have been prevented if government had taken action against the violence in the taxi world earlier. Thanks a lot The Hague [The Hague is where the government is]'', “says Sitek. Amsterdamse mayor Job Cohen (61) (labour) has called Sitek ‘personally’ on Sunday, to offer his condoleances. He is  -the standard phrase for Dutch politicians- 'shocked' by the incident.

Best not get into this guys cab, better yet, don’t even inquire about the fare

“If he dies I kill you” is what paramedic Ron Sitek was tolld last year while he was trying to save a life. On June 17 juni,  Abdullah S., who threathened Ron, was sentenced to  30 uur hours of community service. He also received a jailsentence of 30 day, of which 14 where suspended. He already had spent 16 days in custody so he could walk right out of court.

Mayor Cohen, in a fast reaction, wanted a new taxi law fast. In that he is right. If there is one business where there is daily proof that an open market can spiral out of control, then it is the Amsterdam taxi-business. 

State-traffic-secretary Tineke Huizinga (photo)  (Christen Unie) has promised to send a letter to the House this week in which she proposes to give local government more authority in the taxi world. Apparently, the driver exam that was put in plae in 2004 turned out to be of little effect in controlling the taxi business.

Well, this might be so, but one can hardly blame the mechanism of open market for what has now happened. The liberalisation of the taxi world to an open market has been law since 2000 in the whole of the Netherlands, whereas the problems seem to focus in Amsterdam.

Ther eis, in Amsterdam, with or without open market, a problem with public law and order. Thát is something that mayor Cohen and the police brass, should realise and feel responsible for and in fact be very very ashamed off. Also the most liberal opem market taxi law does not allow the frauding and killing of customers. That is already forbidden, by general law.