The News Minute | June 111, 2014 | 7.03 pm IST
Taxi drives in at least six European cities were up in arms against an American taxi service, alleging that it was “stealing their clients”. They blocked major roads in these cities in protest on Wednesday.
According to a New York Times blog, the ire of the taxi drivers’ was aimed at an American online service called Uber, which allows passengers to connect directly with freelancing taxi drivers.
The service was started in America and was later made available in European cities such as London, Berlin and Paris.
Taxi drivers are protesting that cabs which appear on Uber, do not pay certain local taxes, making them up to 20 percent cheaper than regular taxis. Following demonstrations in Paris, French authorities are working on a law that will ensure that regular taxi cabs do not lose out on their livelihood and the ones that appear on Uber's app comply with French laws.