Hundreds of French chauffeurs stage counter-protest to taxis

PARIS – About 300 French chauffeurs are staging a counter-protest after repeated demonstrations by taxi drivers against looser industry regulations.

The drivers blocked roads in central Paris at midday, saying they are victims of discrimination by the government.

Many of the protesters Wednesday have a particular status allowing them to carry a minimum of two passengers, but many skirt the regulations and use platforms like Uber to pick up single passengers. Last week, the government promised protesting taxis that the companies would turn over information on their drivers within weeks to ensure everyone is properly licensed.

Tensions have mounted between taxis and car services like Uber throughout Europe, with taxis claiming the smartphone-based services are operating outside of the law. France has tweaked regulations to placate taxis, to little success.