Roads blocked in taxi protest
Convoys planned today in many towns and cities as drivers protest against rising fuel prices and new competition
TRAFFIC jams are likely across France today - including at entrances to airports - as thousands of taxi drivers take part in a nationwide strike.
Go-slow operations are planned in several towns and cities, including Montpellier, Toulouse, Lyon and Lille. There will also be protests outside prefectures. Anyone travelling by plane today is advised to allow plenty of time to reach the terminal.
The biggest disruption is in Paris, where drivers from all over the Ile-de-France are taking part in convoys along the main motorways leading into the capital this morning. They will then block the périphérique before converging at the Champ de Mars at 10.00.
France's three major taxi unions are taking part in the day of action to protest against rising fuel prices - up 30 per cent in a year - and the rising cost of equipment which they are required to buy.
They are also complaining about growing competition from "low-cost" private car hire firms. The unions say these new entrants, which compete with traditional taxis on airport and railway transfers, are threatening their livelihood.
France has 55,000 taxi drivers, most of whom are self-employed. The industry generates about €2bn a year and remains highly regulated: the cost of a licence in Paris is about €200,000 and €50,000 in smaller towns.
