Taxi drivers set a fire at the Invalides during a protest against lower mileage rates. (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Thousands of taxi drivers are descending on Paris, effectively bringing the capital to a standstill in a week when is likely to be toppled as Prime Minister.
French newspaper reported “major disruptions” on the road, with the city essentially “paralysed”, especially on the busy A1 motorway.
More than 2,000 taxis are expected near the National Assembly (7th arrondissement), where some have already been parked up since 8 am.
Pictures showed some waving flares and riot police gathered in the city centre.
Taxi drivers are angry at changes in the healthcare transport system introduced in the 2024 Social Security budget.
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These changes require taxi drivers to offer car-sharing for medical patient transport, where multiple patients may need to be transported simultaneously.
Drivers argue that this reform, part of cost-saving measures by the French National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM), forces them to provide additional discounts, which they claim will make their services financially unsustainable.
The demonstrations include rolling blockades and slow-traffic operations in Paris and other cities, such as Marseille and Bordeaux, which significantly disrupt major routes.
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