Bus driver strike and taxi protests to hit Paris
Getting around Paris by road might be difficult over the coming days as both cabbies and the city’s bus drivers stage strikes and protests.
French taxi driver unions are meeting on Wednesday to try and find a solution to the problem of controversial ride-sharing service Uberpop.
After protesting at Place de la Bastille on Tuesday, Paris cabbies will continue to show their discontent on Wednesday when they stage a go slow between Charles de Gaulle airport and the city centre.
The protest looks set to cause traffic chaos on the main road between the city's chief airport and the centre.
Protests against Uberpop – an app that allows ordinary drivers to effectively become a taxi service – have been stepped up after the scheme was rolled out in three more French cities last week.
Uberpop is illegal in France although the service is allowed to continue until a final court judgement is made later this year. However drivers are liable to fines if caught by police.
But in a new twist last week a French court riled traditional taxi drivers further when judges ruled that one Uberpop driver could not be convicted, despite the activity being illegal. It set a legal precedent.
Meanwhile bus services around Paris were set to be hugely affected with drivers planning to begin a strike on Wednesday evening that will last until Saturday morning.
Drivers complain of being overworked due to cuts in staff numbers.
Unions say the three-day strike is “historic”.
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French taxi driver unions are meeting on Wednesday to try and find a solution to the problem of controversial ride-sharing service Uberpop.
After protesting at Place de la Bastille on Tuesday, Paris cabbies will continue to show their discontent on Wednesday when they stage a go slow between Charles de Gaulle airport and the city centre.
The protest looks set to cause traffic chaos on the main road between the city's chief airport and the centre.
Protests against Uberpop – an app that allows ordinary drivers to effectively become a taxi service – have been stepped up after the scheme was rolled out in three more French cities last week.
Uberpop is illegal in France although the service is allowed to continue until a final court judgement is made later this year. However drivers are liable to fines if caught by police.
But in a new twist last week a French court riled traditional taxi drivers further when judges ruled that one Uberpop driver could not be convicted, despite the activity being illegal. It set a legal precedent.
Meanwhile bus services around Paris were set to be hugely affected with drivers planning to begin a strike on Wednesday evening that will last until Saturday morning.
Drivers complain of being overworked due to cuts in staff numbers.
Unions say the three-day strike is “historic”.
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