It has been over a week since taxi drivers in Portugal started their protests against the so-called ‘Uber law’ which, starting November 1, will regulate digital platforms like Uber and Cabify.
As we went to press on Wednesday, the taxi drivers’ blockade was still going in Porto, Lisbon and Faro, where dozens of taxis were stopped at main access roads including at the entrance to Faro Airport.
In Lisbon, a protest was scheduled in front of Parliament where taxi drivers expected news about the issue from the parliamentary biweekly debate with Prime Minister António Costa.
If any favourable decision came from the meeting, the taxi drivers would rethink their protest, they said.
“We’re not expecting totally favourable decisions, but if they are balanced, we will make a decision about our future,” said Carlos Ramos, president of the national taxi federation.
He told Lusa that he was expecting between 500 and 700 taxi drivers outside Parliament at around 3pm, after the Resident went to press.
Many drivers have even been sleeping overnight in their cars.
In Lisbon, taxis occupy the bus lanes of Avenida Liberdade, one of the main avenues of the Portuguese capital, while in Porto taxi drivers remain parked on Avenida dos Aliados. In Faro, they are stationed on the road to the airport.
However, Environment Minister João Matos Fernandes guaranteed on Tuesday that the government won’t be swayed by the protests.
“No professional class has the power to stop the introduction of a law,” he said.
He also refuted “false accusations” that the government has refused to speak with the representatives of the taxi sector, stating that nine meetings have been held between 2016 and 2018.
The taxi drivers are set against the introduction of the law which they believe puts them at a disadvantage against their rivals.
