Taxi drivers protesting against Uber have been blocking roads around Paris and at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport.
The demonstration against the taxi-booking service came as France’s Interior Ministry announced it would ban UberPOP, the company’s carpooling service, from January 1.
UberPOP is different to other, more expensive Uber products such as Uber X which requires drivers to have a permit. It uses private individuals using their own cars to drive passengers at reduced rates.
The demonstrations follow a French court on Friday ordering Uber to make changes, including omitting ‘all mention suggesting it is legal’ for its drivers to act like taxis.
Traditional taxis argue Uber has an unfair advantage because its drivers don’t face the same requirements, insurance and taxes.
President of the union Taxi de France, Ibrahim Sylla, called on taxi drivers to react with ‘fervour and firmness to this injustice’.
Founded in 2009 in California, Uber is used as an alternative to taxis in cities across the world.
Protests had been staged against Uber in Germany, India, Thailand, Spain, France, and England, among other nations.
The taxi service app was banned in Spain and two cities of India in December 2014, and continues to be involved in disputes with several governmental bodies, including those of the US and Australia.
