BRATISLAVA – Hundreds of taxi drivers jammed the center of Slovakia’s capital on Monday in the latest demonstration in Europe against popular ride-hailing service Uber.
Taxis drove slowly across the bridge over the Danube River into Bratislava’s historical center as drivers called on authorities to act against the popular app that launched in the Central European country in August.
The head of the Bratislava taxi drivers’ union, Ondrej Wenzl, said 500 drivers had taken part in the protest. Local media said there were around 200.
Wenzl said Uber drivers were not operating according to the same rules that govern licensed taxi drivers.
Slovak officials said the government has informed Uber that its drivers must operate with the proper documentation or face penalties that could include fines of up to €40,000.
Since launching in Europe four years ago, U.S. startup Uber has drawn the ire of traditional taxi drivers and has been hit with court injunctions in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain for violating taxi licensing rules.
