Uber is an USA-based international transportation company. Using the Uber app, users can request a taxi-like trip. It has been welcomed with open arms by the common people, but governments and taxi companies often protest against it, since it is operating an unlicensed taxi business, with crowd-source drivers, which is deemed both illegal and unsafe. But reports of Uber being unsafe have yet to surface since its release in 2009.
The roads leading to Paris airports and the main ring road that goes around the city have been blocked by French taxi drivers, protesting against Uber. They have set up road blocks and are burning tires in the middle of the streets. Riot Police is at the scene and has already used tear-gas against the violent protesters.
Taxi drivers claim that their profits have gone down over 30% since UberPOP (Uber’s French wing) was introduced in Paris and Marseille. This is no reason to justify the over 100 attacks that have taken place in recent weeks against Uber drivers and their passengers in France, most probably by angry cab-drivers, since they are the ones flipping cars over and burning tires in the middle of the roads.
Octavian Cătuşanu
Sursa foto: karimadelli.eu; bbc.co.uk