© Bertrand GUAY / AFP
Taxis
Faced with soaring diesel prices, several hundred taxis gathered this Wednesday, March 30 in front of the Ministry of the Economy to demand aid measures.
Several hundred taxis from the Paris region and neighboring departments gathered on Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Paris to demand emergency measures in the face of the skyrocketing fuel prices. The taxis, united at the call of the National Taxi Federation (FNDT) and the United Taxi Tenants (LUT), are demanding various measures such as a return of VAT to 5.5% (it is currently at 10%), a floating TICPE (domestic consumption tax on energy products) and aid for the transition to electric vehicles.
“It’s not complicated: before I put 20 euros in gasoline every day, now I put 35, that’s 450 euros per month more”, plague Pascal Challita, spokesperson for LUT. Victor Correia, a taxi in Grigny in Essonne, saw his diesel tank go “to 130 or even sometimes 145 euros” against less than 100 euros previously. The regulated taxi fare was recently increased by 3.5% to offset rising fuel costs. “But why would it always be up to the consumer to pay?” Indignant Victor Correia, who would prefer lower taxes. Emmanuelle Cordier, president of the FNDT, asks for “professional fuel” with preferential rates for taxi artisans.
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Snail operation in Nantes
The devices for a transition to electric vehicles are also inefficient, deplores the FNDT. The lack of battery autonomy means that “the vehicles are not suitable for our profession”, assures David Bauer, FNDT manager in Essonne. Especially since in Ile-de-France, aid of 6,000 euros for the purchase of an electric car is planned but only for vehicles under 50,000 euros, or “there are not enough models at that price,” he insists.
Milan Dejmanovic, who came to represent the tenant taxis, denounced to him the impossibility for his colleagues to make ends meet. “Before, I was at 900 euros for diesel per month (for a van), now I’m at 1,700. I pay 120 euros for rental per day at the G7, so 3,600 euros per month. How do you expect these days earn 5,600 euros per month? And I did not count the charges for you”, he denounces.
In Nantes, another gathering brought together around 70 taxis. They carried out a snail operation at the start of the afternoon on the ring road towards the airport, causing major traffic jams and a virtual blockage of north-south traffic on the Cheviré bridge which spans the Loire.
Monday, VTC drivers had demonstrated across France for similar reasons.