Taxi drivers across Europe are on a go-slow protest in city centres show their opposition to Uber, a new app that allows customers to book and track vehicles.
Cabs cabs cabs – just passed 500 bumper to bumper #cabbieprotest http://t.co/rN8V2kNlBN
— Anna Doble (@annadoble) June 11, 2014
Unions and groups representing taxi drivers have warned that the move is leading to unlicensed drivers being contacted, with no checks on whether they are legitimate.
Protesters in Trafalgar Square chanted “Boris, Boris, Boris, out, out, out”, while taxi drivers beeped their horns as demonstrators held placards. A police helicopter was hovering above the scene while uniformed officers patrolled the area.
Scotland Yard had earlier moved to avoid travel chaos in London by imposing conditions on the demonstration, including limiting it to an hour.
Similar protests were also held in Milan, Madrid and Paris.
One cop us trying bravely to get things moving pic.twitter.com/BGKc58PTQU
— Harry Smith (@stvharry) June 11, 2014
London is a standstill as taxi drivers protest @Uber.! I’m sure they r loving it, u can’t buy advertising this good! pic.twitter.com/lcQjjcikQQ
— Simon Shaw (@shawsailing) June 11, 2014
A taxi driver casually chilling by the London Eye #taxistrike pic.twitter.com/Mhkdyj9jVR
— Pearl (@pearlescent48) June 11, 2014
Well done london taxi drivers. Telling TFL to think again about uber licence. pic.twitter.com/J2TbE7F6SY
— niamh o brady (@niamh1517) June 11, 2014
Taxi drivers outside BIS. They shd ask their undergrad sons/daughters to spin up an app for them to compete with uber pic.twitter.com/50TSoJldbm
— Mary Curnock Cook (@MaryCurnockCook) June 11, 2014
Stuck due to the taxi strike come see
@PJGameMusical and our protest for 7 1/2 cents!! #UberTAXI RT pic.twitter.com/jrUnKg4Bfj
— Richard Jones (@R_Jones80) June 11, 2014
Milano sottosopra ecco perché i #taxi oggi scioperano contro @Uber http://t.co/0dxFqI44u9 @ComuneMI @romacapitaleTW pic.twitter.com/g9LOaFlhvm
— Eleonora Lilli (@eleonoralilli82) June 11, 2014
Ni un #taxi disponible en Madrid: seguimiento del 100% de la huelga contra #Uber… http://t.co/1l7170lZ2L pic.twitter.com/A10OP6RXog
— ecomotor (@ecomotor) June 11, 2014
Les chauffeurs de #taxi de Paris, Londres et Berlin en grève http://t.co/QGuByFcA7v pic.twitter.com/3A9cE8PYCw
— Le Devoir (@LeDevoir) June 11, 2014
So sah es heute beim Taxi-Streik in Berlin vorm Olympiastadion aus. Worum es ging: http://t.co/wA4FSAUDm0 pic.twitter.com/aqZOdTgqin
— BILD (@BILD) June 11, 2014