A spontaneous protest was organised on Thursday morning by Brussels taxi drivers working for online ridesharing platforms, starting from Charles Quint Avenue in Ganshoren.
The drivers aimed to slow down traffic to highlight their demands for greater fairness between street taxis and rank taxis. Just before 08:00, "between 50 and 100" taxi drivers gathered near the Basilica for a "go-slow" protest.
"The aim is not to cause chaos," stated Redouane, a street taxi driver for eight years, "but to drive slowly, in numbers, to slow traffic and assert our rights." The plan was to travel through the Annie Cordy tunnel and head towards Brussels-Midi station. No traffic disruptions have been reported, as the Brussels-West police are closely monitoring the situation.
Redouane pointed out a significant drop in their income since the taxi ordinance of 9 June 2022, which was intended to be fair between street and rank taxi drivers, stating, "It’s no longer sustainable for us." The sector’s demands are numerous, but some are a priority. "We are asking to access dedicated lanes, just like rank taxis," emphasised the Brussels driver.
Street taxi drivers, working through platforms like Uber and Bolt, also seek higher minimum fares and lower commissions to companies. Many drivers have criticised Uber’s increase in commission from 25% to 35%.
