International protests against ride-sharing firms continue - but one app boss likens traditional tax

The global fight against ride-sharing apps continued this week when taxi drivers in Serbia brought the capital, Belgrade, to a standstill. 

Taxi drivers from many major cities around the world, have at some point, demonstrated their anger and concerns surrounding the way ride-sharing apps such as Uber are licensed and allowed to operate. 

Serbian taxi drivers say app based car service, Car:Go, who are considered the city's version of Uber, use loopholes in the system which allows drivers an easier way into the taxi industry.

They are now calling for the government to ban the app amidst concerns that their livelihoods are being taken away.

Taxi drivers eventually cleared the protest after talks with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, who convinced them to “have faith in [state] institutions”.

As reported on Reuters, Car:Go’s director Vuk Guberinic said the company will continue to operate and asked for an overhaul of existing laws to allow ride-sharing services. He added: “If the state regulates bakeries the way it regulates taxis we would be eating stale bread every day. Just as stale bread cannot be eaten, so obsolete laws cannot be used."  

On 7 October, taxi drivers in Mexico also caused chaos when they held demonstrations against ride-sharing firm Uber.  

The city's taxi drivers blocked major routes into the capital's international airport, causing major delays and bringing the whole area to a grinding halt. 

Some of the 4,000 cabbies who paralyzed the city even set up camp at the airport to show their discontent with digital hailing platforms such as Uber Technologies Inc, Didi Chuxing Inc and Cabin. 

Serbian taxi drivers are just the latest of a long list of protesters who say ride-sharing apps have had an easy ride up to this point and call for it to stop. 

Image: Source; Pixabay