Taxi Driver Online

French taxi drivers strike against government reforms, causing traffic jams, travel headaches

PARIS — Taxi drivers across France clogged traffic, slowed access to airports and forced would-be passengers to find alternate transport as they held a strike Thursday over government deregulation proposals they fear will cut into their business.

Thousands of protesting taxi drivers lined up in single file on roadsides across the country, refused fares or traveled highways at a crawl. At one point in the late morning, a trip into Paris that would normally take 20 minutes was listed on traffic signs at more than two hours. The drivers called it “Operation Escargot.”

Taxi associations oppose government proposals to allow private companies to transport the sick to medical appointments and allow for new chauffeur businesses.

At Paris’ Orly airport, with riot police on hand, scores of taxi drivers prevented access to the drop-off point at the West terminal, forcing air travelers to walk further to get inside.

French government officials were negotiating with drivers’ associations on Thursday, hoping to put an end to the strike.

An official close to the French president, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting, said the government was confident it could reach a resolution, but stood firm on some measure of deregulation.

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... story.html

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Now there are some cabbies who know how to make themselves heard by the powers that be

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Careful edders it aint British to have a demo if your a cabbie, they have to be SERVILLE


Of course the problem for the Brits is they could never agree on a cause worthwhile of a demo and if they did you'd get the wannabe's and its ilk SCABBING ON YOU

In France I expect they have tactic to take out SCABS

LETS HOPE THE FRENCH CABBIES ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR FIGHT

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Good on the French,theve got balls when it comes to sticking together

Taxi drivers block transportation links across France

Taxis drivers on strike take part in a nationwide demonstration on a highway near Paris to protest against legislative transport reforms, January 10, 2013.
Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:7PM GMT

It is regrettable that in France, we are obliged to take these kinds of actions which punish everyone simply to get the government's attention."

Alain Griset, head of the French National Taxi Drivers’ Union (UNT)

French taxi drivers have blocked major roads and highways across the country to protest the government’s transportation reforms.


The protests, which involved taxis blocking the transport infrastructure of Paris and other major French cities, caused disturbances to airport users and commuters on Thursday.

The National Taxi Drivers’ Union (UNT) backed the demonstration.

UNT Head Alain Griset said, "It is regrettable that in France, we are obliged to take these kinds of actions which punish everyone simply to get the government's attention.”

Some 5,000 taxis clogged the roads near the Eiffel Tower, a popular tourist attraction and business hub.

Drivers in the south of France reportedly formed a seven-kilometer (four-mile) line of taxis on a highway linking the southern coastal city of Marseilles to Lyon in the east.

The taxi associations say the new medical reforms and liberalization policies in France’s transportation sector will cost them their livelihoods and businesses.
Shame weve not got the same sort of drivers willing to participate here