1.
GV PAN Demonstrators in streets protest for taxi drivers (2 shots)
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CU Banners and PULL BACK TO GV Protestors and PAN UP TO City Council H.Q.
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3.
GVs Chanting demonstrators holding placards (3 shots)
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GV Street scenes. Taxis parked in major road as demonstrators hold up traffic
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CU AND PULL BACK AND PAN TO Taxis and drivers (3 shots)
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6.
TS AND SV of seated taxi drivers
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7.
ZV ZOOM AND PULL BACK TO Taxis in streets (2 shots)
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TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Angry taxi drivers demonstrated outside Teheran's Governments offices (15 June), and brought chaos for other commuters. They were protesting against new driving regulations, which will have wide ranging effects on t heir trade.

SYNOPSIS: Teheran's seen many demonstrations since the overthrow of the Shah. They've been mostly political or directed against the United States. However, this demonstration - backed purely by the taxi drivers, their relatives and friends - brought a completely new slant to mass protests.

It was described as "National Mobilisation Week". and had exactly the desired effect. Rather than, as the title would suggest, creating mobility, the demonstration brought traffic to a standstill.

The Taxi drivers were protesting about new regulations which effectively ban them from driving in bus lanes. The taxi drivers see it as just another step towards driving them off of roads.

They abandoned their bright orange cabs on the second day of the Mobilisation protest. The new restrictions also mean that all private cars are banned from Teheran's streets for three and a half hours each morning during the week.

Its all part of a long term traffic plan designed to alleviate the traffic jams which constantly block the Capital's streets.

Some of the taxi drivers' colleagues ignored the protest and picked up fares but most joined the ban. The stoppage was organised by the Islamic Association of Taxi Drivers who are constantly fighting- unauthorised private taxis, which they claim, rob them of their living by operating in the capital illegally.