Some 4,000 cars were expected to adhere to the action in Lisbon, along with 2,000 in Porto and 500 in Faro.
There are currently some 13,000 taxis working Portugal’s roads.
The objective, Carlos Ramos, head of the Portuguese Taxi Federation (FPT) said, is to be heard by parties with seats in parliament “because they also should have to say something” about the situation.
On Monday this week the country’s two largest taxi organisations, FTP and ANTRAL, launched a week of protest action, with a campaign in which they urge taxi-users and professionals to unite in “the fight against Uber.”
In their joint manifesto, which has been sent to Parliament, the associations argue that Uber is illegal in Portugal because the service “does not respect, obey, nor does it submit to, legal rules which in Portugal regulate the activity of taxi transportation.”
In the mission statement, which was also delivered to the Institute for Mobility and Transports, they further accuse Uber, which operates via an online app, of charging what it wants and of boosting prices during peak seasons.
However, on Wednesday this week Carlos Ramos conceded that the country’s taxis and Uber drivers could get along peacefully and work side-by-side should the right set of compromises be put in place.
In comments to Lusa News Agency the FPT president suggested that if the taxis and Uber were to join forces, by say, Uber having to pass on a percentage of their services, then the two could coexist.
Taxis to stage massive nationwide protest this Friday
in News · 28 Apr 2016, 11:38 · 0 Comments