Hamas police offers free taxi service

While we live in the City Of Gold, where the actual taxi service refuses to pick up passengers, the papers are reporting that out at the Gaza Strip, the ruling Hamas outfit has started using police cars to ferry Palestinians around because of severe fuel shortages.

Orange stickers reading “we are ready to drive you for free” were stuck onto blue Hamas-run police cars, which seems to include Peugeot 307 SWs, among other models.

Israel has restricted fuel supplies to Gaza in an attempt to pressure Palestinian fighters to halt their rocket attacks at nearby Israeli communities. Although Hamas keeps complaining about fuel shortages, it is widely believed that they themselves have hoarded supplies for its own use, especially since they can now offer free taxi rides.

Many residents were happy with the service, although some called it a publicity stunt. We’d say the real publicity stunt, along with the Burj Dubai and the Palm Islands, is the number of beige taxis roaming around Dubai, all nice and shiny…and empty.