lifting of the blocking in Pau pending the rest of the movement

The drivers had been mobilized since mid-May in the city of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the stronghold of Prime Minister François Bayrou, to oppose the reform of patient transport.

Taxis mobilized against the reform of the transport of patients demonstrated a “last” Time on Saturday May 31 in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), the fief of Prime Minister François Bayrou, while waiting for a lifting on the evening of the blocking in front of the station, started in mid-May, and the continuation of the movement. Some 80 taxis, according to the unions, and fifty, according to the prefecture, paraded on Saturday afternoon in the streets of the city. One way to pull their “reverence”AFP Damien Bretin, taxi driver in Charente and departmental president of the National Federation of Independent Taxis, told AFP.

“We leave Pau, the mobilization will be in other major cities”he warned. According to several unions, the demonstrators planned to rise on Saturday evening the point of gathering and blocking established since May 19 in front of the city station, below the Boulevard des Pyrénées. “We are going to have a last meal and interrupt the movement”said Jean-Marie Tourré, president of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Taxis Union Chamber. “The demonstration should end on Sunday morning”, confirmed the prefecture, reporting around thirty taxis present on Saturday around 5.30 p.m. in front of the station, “who remains accessible to travelers”.

The drivers demonstrate in particular against an agreement which modifies their remuneration for the transport of patients. This activity represents some significant part of their turnover, especially in rural areas. The new pricing, which is to come into force on October 1, provides for treatment of 13 euros by health insurance, then a kilometric rate.

While new meetings are scheduled for next week on Wednesday with the Ministry of Health and Thursday with that of transport, taxis promise to continue their movement. In Paris, the rally point on boulevard Raspail was “Maintained” Saturday with “Very few cars”said Rachid Boudjema, of the National Union of Taxis. But “From Sunday evening, Monday, we left”he warned.