French taxi drivers in ‘go-slow’ protest over hospital transport changes
Multiple ‘snail operations’ are taking place as taxi drivers condemn the plans as ‘catastrophic’
Taxi drivers say proposed healthcare patient transport changes will severely affect their business
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Taxi drivers in France are taking part in ‘go-slow’ protests over the expected changes to hospital patient transport rules which they say will significantly damage their business.
Opérations escargot (‘snail operations’) have been called by unions including the ARC Atlantique taxis-32 (AAT32), ahead of the imminent outcome of debates over the 2025-2029 agreement on patient transport.
Taxi drivers in Sarthe have also been protesting since 06:30 this morning (November 26). Similarly, taxi drivers are running operations in Paris on the A4 and A6.
The protest comes as the government is considering multiple changes to the healthcare reimbursement rules in a bid to reduce the public deficit.
Proposed changes to medical patient transport including requiring patients to share transport services (a light medical vehicle or an approved taxi) with another patient. Those who do not share without a valid medical reason will only be reimbursed on the basis of the price of shared transport, rather than a solo service.
Similarly, new tariffs on taxis transporting medical patients will see the rate per kilometre drop from €2.12 to €1.06, claims Pascal Gauché of l'Union des artisans taxis 72 (UATS) who is a taxi driver in Sarthe. “That’s half,” he told France Bleu. “It is a catastrophe for us, we will be driving at a loss.”
The 2025 budget is still being debated in the Senate.
“We understand the need to control public spending,” said Fabien Diaz, president of AAT32 to La Dépêche. “But not at the expense of the viability of our businesses, 90% of which is based on medical transport in Gers.”
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The AAT32 has arranged to meet at 14:00 today in front of the CPAM (the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie, the healthcare expenses office), as part of protest plans against the changes.
“We are going to park in front of the CPAM, on rue Châteaudun, for as long as the meeting lasts”, said Mr Diaz, adding that the protest was also about opposing the “uberisation” of taxi driving (shifting the business to the use of gig economy apps such as Uber and Lyft).
A delegation of union representatives is also set to attend a meeting at the prefecture tomorrow (November 27) at 09:00. Mr Diaz has also requested a meeting with the department president and the president of the l’association des maires ruraux (rural mayors’ association).
Depending on the outcome of national debates on the issue unions are planning an opération escargot on Friday, November 29 in the afternoon in Gers. Other operations are also set to continue elsewhere.
“We have the feeling that, despite the proposals, we are not being listened to and that it is mainly the taxis that are paying the price,” said Mr Diaz.
He said that patients in Gers are as dependent on taxis as the taxi drivers are on their custom given the lack of public transport in the department so he feared that changes would also severely affect patients.
