PARIS DEMO UPDATE.

Weak mobilization of taxis in the capital to protest competition from UberPop. The government announced that with the law Thévenoud this transport service between individuals will be banned in France.

The snail operation of some taxi organizations - non supported by the main trade unions movement, was weakly followed on Monday. One hundred taxis gathered outside the Roissy and Orly airports to denounce competition, "unfair" according to them, the UberPOP service that claims 160,000 users. "Today is to mark the occasion, and later, there will be a much more important event, if by then the government does not listen to us " , said the president of the French Association of taxis Romeo Pestana to explain the weak mobilization.

The government was quick to reassure them. Through the voice of Pierre-Henri Brandet, spokesman for the Interior Ministry _ he announced that the Thévenoud Act regulating competition with taxis, which prohibits non-professional drivers to exercise, come well force on the 1 st of January. "  The law that was passed and carried by the regulatory government of the taxi profession, VTC (cars with driver) , is even more burdensome for such companies  ", stated on i> TELE. The main decree is to be presented this week to the State Council, according to Matignon.

The creation of a specific kind of UberPOP will be liable to two years in prison and 300,000 euro fine, he said (*). "  Not only is it illegal to pay for this service but also for the consumer there is a real dange r, "said the spokesman, adding that the drivers did not have adequate insurance. In a statement released in mid-day, the National Taxi Union (UNT) hosted "very pleased" government statements.

The announcement of the ban has yet provoked strong reactions. " Should we slow down the growth of digital photos to protect Kodak bankruptcy, a multinational which nevertheless had 60 000 employees in 2003? " asked Ronan Pelloux recently in the columns of Echos . " While the entrepreneurial freedom was constitutionally guaranteed right to break corporations, our Minister of the Interior has decided to offer the only corporation taxis key labor market. This is unacceptable , " regretted Monday Guillaume Cairou who chairs the Entrepreneurs Club.

"We do not give in to any corporation, we apply the law" , has insisted his side Manuel Valls Monday from Dijon where he performs economic displacement. " Unlocking the energies of our economy, it is not the law of the jungle. It is obviously reassure taxis, especially those who show those who do not occur and are fully aware of the development process of the law " he added.

The anti-Uber camp has also heard. " Under the guise of innovation, UberPop only reinvent illegal taxi and if it goes anything with vehicle (look what happened in India), the issue of liability will surely become very embarrassing , "Altmayer abound Bertrand Benoit and Richard, co-founders Marcel, a VTC company in Ile-de-France, which was launched last June."  On the ground, we see that Friday and Saturday night, the usual clientele who took a taxi moves today Uber "  "is annoyed his side Salahdin Dahaoui, president of the Collective of Parisian taxi .

The French branch Uber was sentenced last October to a fine of 100,000 euros for "deceptive trade practices" for presenting UberPOP as carpooling. Uber has appealed this decision and continues to offer this service.

The decision comes three days after the refusal of the Paris Commercial Court to ban UberPOP service as requested by three companies competing VTC Uber, supported by taxi associations. UberPop was added in February at the Paris commercial offer Uber, electronic platform available on smartphone that mediates between customers and drivers VTC.

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