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Taxis in Budapest block traffic, demand ban on Uber | Taxis in Budapest block traffic, demand ban on Uber |
(about 2 hours later) | |
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Over 100 taxis blocked traffic in downtown Budapest on Monday, demanding a ban on Uber and other ride-hailing apps. | |
The yellow vehicles from several taxi companies blocked most lanes of a key intersection near St. Stephen’s Basilica in the Hungarian capital, causing traffic delays. | |
Taxi drivers also went to the nearby offices of Budapest’s mayor to present a petition with their demands, but their meeting with Mayor Istvan Tarlos did not result in any immediate solutions. | |
Protest organizers said they wanted to show Tarlos “that the current condition is unsustainable” and called for fines against Uber drivers and the immediate shutdown of the service. | |
Driver Zsolt Gelencser said Uber and similar apps were avoiding regulations and licensing issues which taxies had to comply with. | |
“We demand that Uber, as an app or as an activity, cease to exist,” Gelencser said, standing amid the taxis occupying most of the road. “They are applying a double standard. Nothing applies to them, while everything applies to us.” | |
Laszlo Pusztai, another taxi driver at the protest, estimated that Uber was taking away 50-60 percent of the rides of traditional taxis. “Unfortunately, it is working very well for them,” Pusztai said. | |
Uber says it has 1,200 drivers and 80,000 users in Budapest. | Uber says it has 1,200 drivers and 80,000 users in Budapest. |
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |