Hospital transport change: French taxi driver protests cause 490km of traffic jams
Blockades are underway as drivers fear redundancies and bankruptcies
Taxi drivers say proposed healthcare patient transport changes will severely affect their business
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Taxi drivers in France are holding ‘drive slow’ blockades and gathering in front of parliament today (December 3) in protest at the changes to hospital transport fees under the new healthcare budget.
It comes as the healthcare reimbursement council le Conseil national de la CPAM (Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie) is debating a decree on taxis and patient transport vehicles.
Taxi drivers mounted a similar protest last week.
Read also: French taxi drivers in ‘go-slow’ protest over hospital transport changes
Changes to medical patient transport in the new budget include 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.
Michel Barnier’s government, which is currently facing a motion of no confidence, is aiming to save €300m via the above change.
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Snail operations
Now, again, protests and ‘opérations escargot (snail operations)’ are taking place across the country, including in Ile-de-France, Normandy, Occitanie, and Centre-Val de Loire.
Taxi drivers from all over France - including Lille, Reims, Savoie and Normandy - have gathered in front of the Assemblée Nationale, with a significant number of vehicles already parked behind the Palais Bourbon at Invalides and in front of the assembly building by 08:00.
Police are present, particularly as some drivers have been setting off firecrackers, smoke bombs and firework mortars.
More taxis are currently arriving in Paris, including 800 from Louveciennes (Yvelines), and 200 from Mantes-la-Jolie (Yvelines), all coming via the A13. Others from Marseille and Lyon are also set to continue arriving this afternoon, said the Union nationale des taxis parisiens.
The drivers intend to ‘camp’ outside the Assemblée this evening.
Go-slow ‘snail’ operations are still taking place on Ile-de-France motorways, including:
More than 490 km of traffic jams have so far been recorded.
In Eure, Normandy, drivers departed for Paris at around 05:00, with 50 taxi drivers (out of 340 in the department in total) heading out, also via the A13.
Christophe Monceau, president of the Eure independent taxi union, told France Bleu Normandie: “I protested last Tuesday around the hospital in Évreux, with the ambulance service, which was also protesting.
“Today, quite simply, we are joining the call from Parisian taxis who are taking us to the National Assembly to make our voice and our demands heard.”
Road blockades
In Rhône, near Lyon, the prefecture called on the CRS to “free up” traffic access that taxi drivers had blockaded around the city. On Monday (December 2), more than 1,500 taxis took part in blockades there, said the Fédération des Taxis Indépendants du Rhône.
Further south, drivers joined a rally at Salon-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône) yesterday, while in Sète (Hérault), they hung up signs reading "taxis en colère“ (angry taxis).
“There is a protest, but we have decided not to blockade the population for the time being,” said Bernard Crebassa, president of the Fnat (Fédération nationale des artisans du taxi), to France Bleu Hérault.
Read also: Taxi drivers in Toulouse stage ‘snail’ protests against sector deregulation
‘People as parcels’
Action is also taking place in Orléans, Loiret. Taxis are set to meet tomorrow (Wednesday, December 4) and Thursday (December 5).
“It's an aberration to want to transport five, six, seven or eight people at the same time in the same vehicle, making them wait for half an hour, 1 hour or 2 hours in a shared waiting room, knowing that everyone has their own pathologies and problems,” said Sandra Vialatte, president of the Loiret Taxi Federation, to France Bleu Orléans.
“The people who drafted this law don't know the trade, don't know people who are ill. What they see are figures, and they see sick people as parcels.”
Ms Vialatte said “almost 30,000 people will be made redundant, and 10,000 companies risk going bankrupt” as a result of the changes.
Drivers in Loiret will also be carrying out escargot operations on several bridges in Orléans (especially the Pont de l'Europe and the Pont Thinat), before moving on to Paris.
