Street taxis in Brussels will mobilise for a demonstration on 14 November, the Belgian Association of Limousine Drivers (ABCL) announced on Friday.
The protest seeks to highlight sector favouritism towards Uber and Bolt platforms, as well as calling for a review of aspects of the June 2022 taxi ordinance they find discriminatory.
The demonstration will start at 09:00 from Boulevard Louis Schmidt in Etterbeek, where Uber’s Brussels office is located, and head towards Place Poelaert, near the headquarters of the FGTB union. The ABCL criticises the Belgian union for supporting workers on the American platform. The drivers will then move towards the Brussels Parliament.
Taxi drivers are calling for both an amendment to the 2022 taxi ordinance and a review of their association with app platforms. The ABCL cites an unprecedented drop in revenue since the end of the transition related to the ordinance in October 2022. The association calls for "a favourable environment and conditions for our activity,” noting that most street taxis are “on the brink of bankruptcy."
They seek a minimum kilometre fare excluding commissions, with adjustments for night and holiday rates. Drivers also hope for a revision and cap on the commissions imposed by the platforms. Additionally, they demand to access exclusive lanes (reserved for public transport and station taxis) and propose a unified status for all taxis in the capital.
Similar to station taxis, the ABCL urges for a postponement of the electric transition for the sector. Under the Low Emission Zone (LEZ), all newly registered taxis must be fully electric from 1 January.
The postponed phase of the LEZ to 1 January 2027 for vehicles that would have been banned from 1 January 2025 does not apply to the taxi sector, which the ABCL criticises, lamenting the political authorities’ silence on their demands.
