Mobilization of taxis near the Paris Le Bourget, 15 December 2015 (AFP / Lionel Bonaventure)
Angry against “unfair competition” from US giant Uber, taxi drivers staged a go-slow Monday from Paris airports, a non supported by major unions and weak monitoring movement.
The government was quick to clarify that the law prohibiting non-drivers professionals to practice, which already exists, would be even more restrictive from 1 January. This tightening could spell the end of UberPOP service that connects passengers and drivers who are not professional drivers.
“We do not give in to any corporation, we apply the law,” said Prime Minister Manuel Valls, traveling in Dijon. “Unlocking the energies of our economy, it is not the law of the jungle. It is obviously reassure taxis, those who show especially those who do not manifest and are fully aware of the development process of the law” .
This new episode in the war of taxis follows the refusal Friday of the Paris Commercial Court to ban the popular but controversial UberPOP service because of the decrees of the Thévenoud law regulating the activity of VTC (passenger vehicle with driver) and taxis were not published.
“The law will come into force on 1 January punish two years in prison and 300,000 euro fine on Organizing a customer matchmaking system with people who are neither taxis nor VTC, “said AFP spokesman of the Ministry of the Interior Pierre-Henry Brandet. He said “all the entry deadlines in force of the law on taxis and VTC are carefully maintained by the government.”
The main decree to be presented this week at the Council of State according Matignon.
A taxi Ile asked Francois Hollande to” save “Competition Uber, December 15, 2014 near the Bourget (AFP / Lionel Bonaventure)
UberPOP was added in February at the Paris commercial offer Uber, electronic platform available on smartphone serving as intermediary between clients and VTC.
Gathered at dawn to the call from several associations, a hundred taxis in Roissy and Orly fifty were shaken in quiet Monday . to 8:00 the horns sound, according to a police source
The processions should meet near the Invalides before dispersing mid afternoon
-. Uber on Fifth abroad –
From Orly, taxis occupied only the right lane, limiting the impact on traffic, said a journalist from AFP. Shortly before 9:00, accumulated plugs around Paris corresponded to normal levels.
“Today is to mark the occasion, and later there will be a much protest important if by then the government does not listen to us, “he told AFP the president of the French Association of taxis Romeo Pestana. “It’s not a lock day is a day of awareness of French society,” added a spokesman of the Collective of Paris taxis, Jalale El Ouahab.
Taxi Demonstration in Orly, near Paris, December 15, 2014 (AFP / Stéphane Sakutin)
“C ‘ is a struggle against all Uber. It is a ras-le-bol, it can no longer. Allow UberPOP is putting 57,000 French taxis on the floor, so 57,000 families, “denounced the president of Taxis Ibrahima Sylla of France.
The court’s decision is all the more misunderstood that Uber is on trial in other countries.
In Spain, a judge banned for UberPOP unfair competition, the day after a similar decision in the Netherlands and the prohibition to New Delhi from all the companies in voiturage via mobile application.
The Danish and Norwegian authorities have also filed a complaint against the company, trading in more than 250 cities and 50 countries, and those of the Brussels region intend.
In France, a previous operation against the snail VTC, especially Uber, was marked by January with overflow and damage in Paris.
This time, the Inter has not joined the movement, even if it also calls for ban Uber.
” We do not want to bother people as Christmas approaches, “said Nordine Dahmane (FO), a member of the Inter CFDT, CGT, FO and SDCTP CST which will meet on Monday to decide on a possible national action in January .
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