French taxi drivers vow to continue strikes and blockades
France's national taxi federation, which represents taxi drivers across the country, has vowed to continue protests until midnight on Sunday, according to
Franceinfo,
despite initial plans to continue protests
until Friday.
The head of the national taxi federation, Dominique Buisson, told Franceinfo on Wednesday that the group had declared their intent to protest "until midnight on Sunday, particularly in Paris and Pau."
"There are taxi drivers from the countryside who are on their way to Paris, with blockades planned at Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports," Buisson added.
On Thursday, taxi drivers were once again expected to mobilise along Paris' Boulevard Raspail, with protest action also planned in other French cities, like in Marseille where taxi drivers had planned another go slow campaign (
opération escargot
) along the A50.
Local authorities also warned of protest action near the Marseille airport, as well as the Aix-en-Provence and Saint Charles train stations, which could lead to delays for travellers.
READ MORE:
What to expect from this week's French taxi driver strikes
So far, the protests, which began on Monday, have been disruptive. In the Paris area on Wednesday, a go-slow campaign caused over 450km of traffic jams,
Actu France
reported.
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Taxi drivers are protesting against price changes for medical transport, as well as against what they see as laxer rules and regulation for VTC services (like Uber).
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