Overview
- Taxi drivers across France are striking for the fourth consecutive day, blocking key roads in Paris, Marseille, and Pau.
- The strike opposes a new Assurance maladie tariff scheme, which standardizes rates for medical transport but is expected to cut taxi revenues by up to 40% for longer trips.
- Government proposals to strengthen VTC (ride-hailing) regulations, including fines for illegal activities, have been dismissed by unions as insufficient.
- Protest actions, including road blockades and slow-driving operations, have caused significant traffic disruptions, with over 200 kilometers of congestion reported in Île-de-France on Wednesday.
- Tensions persist with law enforcement and VTC drivers, with reports of clashes, arrests, and physical altercations during the demonstrations.