French commuters faced crowded trains Wednesday morning due to a strike and a protest by taxi drivers which reduced capacity in at least three European countries, according to The Associated Press.
Taxi drivers are upset over what they say is unfair competition from private car service Uber, the AP reported. San-Francisco based Uber, backed by heavyweight investors including Goldman Sachs and Google, allows customers to book and pay for a taxi using an app on their smartphones.
Drivers of London's iconic black cabs say this second app amounts to a taximeter and legally violates industry regulations, according to the AP. Transport for London, which regulates the capital's various transport systems, has asked the High Court to rule on the legal issue.
The city's 25,000 black cabs can be flagged down in the street and use a meter to calculate fares, the 44,000 private-hire minicabs must be pre-booked with a set fare and destination, the AP reported.
The taxi drivers say upstart companies such as Uber and Chauffeur Prive are untrained and unregulated. During a strike earlier this year, drivers for the private services found their vehicles under attack, according to the AP.
Streets around Trafalgar Square may b e disabled from early afternoon by a demonstration that is also expected to attract taxi drivers from France and the Netherlands, according to the AP.
Drivers groups and unions are also protesting London Mayor Boris Johnson for what they call "an-all out assault" on their industry, the AP reported.
Under the banner "Cabbies Against Boris" they are protesting a rule aimed at reducing road pollution which bans the use of taxis which are more than 15 years old, according to the AP. They say the ban has done nothing to decrease pollution levels and forced drivers to needlessly spend money on new taxis, which cost up to 40,000 pounds each.
