Demonstrations have been held in cities around the world as drivers of traditional cabs, and the companies they work for, react to the spread of the ride-hailing app Uber.
Toronto protest suspended on account of NBA All-Star Game
CBC News ·
Cabbies held an anti-Uber demonstration at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal on Feb. 10, 2016, causing a major traffic snarl. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
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Montreal and Toronto are two of 11 Canadian locales where Uber operates.
*Edmonton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Windsor, Hamilton, Niagara Region, Kingston, Ottawa and Quebec City are the others.
Quebec's transportation ministry and the mayor of Montreal have asked the company behind UberX to suspend operations until a committee can find a way to level the playing field between the popular ride-hailing app and legacy taxi companies.
An anti-Uber protest planned for Toronto has been put off on account of the NBA All-Star Game this weekend, but demonstrations have been held in cities around the world as drivers of traditional cabs, and the companies they work for, react to the spread of Uber.
Toronto has had several disruptive anti-Uber protests, including this demonstration outside City Hall on Dec. 9. City council voted in October to create a legal framework covering ride-sharing companies and asked city staff to figure out rules that would level the playing field for legacy cab companies. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
In London, thousands of black-cab drivers blocked Whitehall, where British government administration is centred.
London cabbies protested a decision granting Uber drivers private-hire licenses on Feb. 10. The city's iconic black-cab service claims Uber has taken a large percentage of their business over the last few years. (Andy Rain/EPA)
Protesters in Paris burned tires in anger over Uber.
Paris taxi drivers joined teachers and other public servants in nationwide strikes and demonstrations on Jan. 26. During one such march protesting Uber, disgruntled drivers set fire to a pile of tires, causing major traffic disruptions. (EPA)
Taxi drivers in Paris invoked the powerful memory of the Charlie Hebdo attacks with signs reading 'I am taxi' on their cabs during a blockade on Jan. 26 protesting what they call unfair competition from rival services like Uber. (Christophe Ena/AP)
Uber drivers in some countries have been fined…
After the company behind the Uber app was ordered to pay nearly $2 million to the French taxi union, local media reported drivers staged a protest of their own in the French capital on Feb. 5. (EPA)
In Hong Kong, two Uber drivers were fined about $1,200 each for taking passengers without a permit and without the right third-party insurance coverage. Several drivers in China have been similarly charged. (Jerome Favre/EPA)
…but mostly reaction has come in the form of protests by taxi drivers.
More than 100 cabs blocked traffic in downtown Budapest on Jan. 18 as drivers demanded a ban on Uber and other ride-hailing apps in Hungary. (Bela Szandelszky/AP)
Taxi drivers in Uruguay amassed their cabs by the hundreds in the capital of Montevideo on Nov. 13 to block a driver training session held by Uber in front of a Holiday Inn hotel. (Juan Ignacio Mazzoni/EPA)
A mass demonstration was also held in Rio de Janeiro on July 24 to protest the app-based ride-hailing service Uber. (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)
Uber is shaking up the cab business.
In Las Vegas, critics say expensive credit card processing fees and a lack of online reviews makes the taxi industry appear out of date in comparison to Uber, which has thrown cab regulators into upheaval as the new ride service challenges legacy cabs for business. (John Locher/AP)
