For Mexican women, a hassle-free taxi

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DomRep orders cabbies to only drive yellow cars

More than 3,000 bright yellow taxis will soon be zipping around the Dominican Republic.

Officials have ordered that cabs be identified by the standard color to regulate the business and ensure passenger safety.

The government has bought a fleet of new yellow Toyota Corollas to be used as taxis in the capital of Santo Domingo and the northern city of Santiago. Several banks and a state institution issued a $129 million loan to buy the cars. They start circulating Wednesday.

Raleigh Council gives cabbies a dress code

Taxi drivers in Raleigh are being told what not to wear.

Short shorts, miniskirts, short dresses, T-shirts, tank-tops and flip-flops can no longer be worn by cab drivers under a dress code the Raleigh City Council approved Tuesday. The dress code was one piece of an extensive overhaul of the city's regulations of the taxicab business.

The rules, which go into effect Sunday, also raise the application fees for cab drivers, forbid cars more than 10 years old from being used as cabs and allow the city to deny a permit to an applicant who has a felony, alcohol or drug conviction or has pending criminal charges.

Lacrosse defense witness arrested

A Durham police detective investigating the Duke University lacrosse case arrested an alibi witness Wednesday on a 2 1/2-year-old misdemeanor warrant.

Taxi driver Moezeldin Elmostafa said Investigator R.D. Clayton and another officer asked whether he had anything new to tell them about the rape case before driving him to the Durham County jail. He said no and was held for five hours, until a friend posted his bail on a shoplifting charge.

Ernest Conner, a Greenville lawyer who represents defendant Reade Seligmann, said the cabbie's arrest amounted to intimidation. "It appears to me they are trying to pressure a witness who supports our defendant's rock-solid alibi," Conner said.

Raleigh OKs $1 taxi ride surcharge

A taxi ride in Raleigh just went up a buck.

The City Council approved a $1-per-trip surcharge this month, which went into effect immediately, and will remain in effect until Dec. 31.

A council committee will review the surcharge at the end of the year.

Dress sharp

Yes, a dress code is needed for cab drivers in Raleigh - and North Carolina.

I am always extremely nervous when traveling and using a taxi service. It is always a pleasure to see a driver who takes pride in his vehicle, his dress and appearance.

When taking a cab in Boston, Las Vegas or New York, I find myself trying to match the cabbie's license to the person driving. This is difficult, and to make matters worse there are no uniforms to assist you in this process.