The Wednesday strike was the latest in a series of protests against ridesharing services.
SHAFAQNA– London, 24 Sep – Over 1,000 taxi drivers have blocked traffic in the British capital to protest against a boom in unlicensed minicabs and rickshaws prowling London streets.
The cap drivers argue that local regulator Transport for London is not protecting the public from illegal minicab touts and rickshaws.
The protest, organized by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, brought traffic to a complete halt and caused chaos around Westminster.
The cab drivers say they have lost out on work due to the fact that they are not being properly regulated.
“We’ve been asking them for a long time for greater enforcement against illegal minicabs, touting,” said Steve McNamara, the head of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association.
“Every night of the week in London, there are people being attacked, robbed, assaulted by unlicensed, uninsured minicab drivers,” he added.
There are around 25,000 licensed black taxis and 60,000 licensed private hire vehicles in London. Unlicensed taxis are widely available in busy spots at night.
Licensed taxi drivers have held similar protests throughout the summer in London and several other major European cities.
Source:Press TV
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