Mini-cab drivers blockade airport

PRIVATE-HIRE vehicle drivers blockaded the main access route to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport this morning, as their dispute with taxi drivers threatened to boil over.

The action has been organised by the Alternative Mobilité Transport group, which represents the drivers of 10 mini-cab and private-hire firms, and has the support of Uber drivers.

Travellers to the airport have been advised to take the RER B on Friday - which is running normally following yesterday’s train strike - rather than risk trying to get to the airport by road, which was blocked by 20 private-hire vehicles.

A further protest at Place de la Nation was due to take place at 9am.

Some taxi drivers have also reportedly staged their own protest at the airport.

Last night, police intervened when taxi drivers and mini-cab drivers faced off at Port Maillot in the capital - the rallying point for last month’s taxi drivers’ protests. A protest also took place at Place de la Republique.

Uber drivers began their own counter-protest on Wednesday, against government measures - brought in following taxi drivers’ protests last month
- that they claim unfairly favours taxi drivers.

After taxi drivers’ unions met with the Prime Minister, the government promised ‘incessant checks’ to make sure VTC drivers were not breaking the rules of their licences.

Photo: BFMTV / screengrab