Taxi drivers protest ‘insulting’ Easy Taxi advertisement

AMMAN – A new advertisement by the Easy Taxi mobile app outraged taxi drivers’ representatives, who deemed the ad “insulting” and “inappropriate”. 

Easy Taxi/Jordan recently placed a billboard in several areas in Jordan showing a young man showing off his muscular legs, apparently in a bid to convince a taxi driver to stop and collect him.  

The adverts’ suggestion appeared to be that the app would be an easier solution to catch a cab, while also implying that drivers decide who to pick up based on physical appearance. 

“The ad is absolutely inappropriate and offensive. It gives the impression that taxi drivers should be lured into doing their job, which is untrue,” said Mahmoud Dabbas, media head of the Association of Workers in Land Transportation and Mechanics. 

He added that “drivers are suffering from many challenges, and depicting them in such an offensive way is considered abuse”.

Meanwhile, the company withdrew the ad and issued an apology on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, saying that the advertisement was meant to shed light on how easy it is to request a yellow taxi via the Easy Taxi application, compared to other methods.

“The ad was meant to tackle this issue in a humorous way that is close to the public, without any intention to abuse any party involved,” the company said. 

While commending the company for its decision to apologise and withdraw the ad, Dabbas told The Jordan Times that the association’s legal committee is still considering whether to press charges.