The protested become the protesters. Uber is shutting down services in Paris today, to join other drivers from across the city in protest against regulations that could hurt non-taxi driving services.
The Verge reports from Paris that Uber drivers are joining other non-taxi chauffeurs in the protest, which has now been ongoing for five days. It’s said to be the first time that Uber has ever stopped providing its services to support a protest.
The stall will be modest, however: Uber will only be unavailable in the French capital between 11am and 3pm local time. Which happens to be the time when nobody needs to catch an Uber anyway.
The mark of solidarity, if you can call it that, is against proposed restrictions which would stop salaried drivers who work for small companies being hired out to drive for app-based ride-hailing services. In Paris, these kinds of contracts account for as much as 30 percent of the total Uber driver fleet.
It’s not the first time Uber has been involved in controversy in Paris. Last year, the government forced it to shut down operations of its budget UberPop service across France.
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[The Verge]
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