International taxi demonstration against Uber passes through Brussels
An international taxi demonstration against Uber started at around 11.45am on Thursday in Brussels. Some 300 disgruntled taxi drivers from all over Europe have gathered in the Belgian capital to denounce the UberFiles revelations. They travelled through the capital in a procession.
An international taxi demonstration against Uber started at around 11.45am on Thursday in Brussels. Some 300 disgruntled taxi drivers from all over Europe have gathered in the Belgian capital to denounce the UberFiles revelations. They travelled through the capital in a procession.
The many French, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Swiss and Portuguese flags and number plates showed that the group that has come to speak out against Uber's methods comes from far beyond Belgium's borders. The demonstrators chanted "Uber go home" and lighted Bengal fireworks. A banner at the head of the procession read "Taxis of the world united against corruption". Some of the protesters covered the route on foot, with a long procession of honking taxis behind them.
"We left our families and our jobs to come here. We are here to defend our livelihood," says Swiss taxi driver Abel Ben Mbarek from Geneva.
His Barcelona-based colleague Jaime Sau calls for the taxi sector to be better protected.
"The problems are the same at the base in all European countries. We want to be defended, because we are a public sector. We have come here together as taxi drivers to form a common voice," Sau explains.
A data leak of over 124,000 internal documents showed that Uber tried to interfere politically and engaged in dubious practices to avoid audits. The European taxi associations are demanding that investigations be carried out against Uber, both at European and national level. They want strong measures and possible sanctions.
"Uber is a disloyal competitor and the European administration should set up a commission to dig out the UberFiles revelations," says Sau.
"Uber is the black beast of taxi drivers. They take our work away, they work illegally, they don't comply with the rules, yet they are protected by politicians. We won a case at the federal tribunal, but it was not followed up and the law is not being applied. It is like this everywhere: in Brussels, in Spain, in Italy. It is a disease, an epidemic," adds Swiss driver Ben Mbarek.
(KOR)
© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK