Anger is growing among Finistère taxis. And they will make it known this Thursday, November 21. Last Friday, they had already carried out a snail operation in the Morlaix sector to protest against the provisions of the new agreement with Health Insurance, they hope to be more numerous almost a week later. At issue: the new rates envisaged in this new agreement which must come into force in February 2025 and until 2029. According to the National Federation of Taxi Artisans (FNAT), the text plans to standardize the four rates which exist today towards a single tariff, the “S” tariff. “This will be a median priceexplains Samir Attieh, president of FNAT 29 and 56. In fact, we are halving the current prices. That is to say that today a taxi which runs at the highest rate for example, the D, which is 3 euros per kilometer, well with the S rate, you go to 1.50 euros.” Finistère taxis have done their homework, this would represent a 40% drop in their turnover.
90% of their activity
Unacceptable for these professionals, especially in rural areas. “This means that until the 15th kilometer we will always earn a little money, but from the 16th, we start to lose money“, continues Samir Attieh. “For the same trip, we will go from 262 to 161 euros“, calculates the taxi driver. However, in a rural area like ours, where hospitals are far away, trips very often go well beyond 15 kilometers. And these reimbursed trips often represent 90% of their activity.
Another point of tension: shared shopping. The new agreement with Health Insurance plans to increase the number of people who can be covered in the same vehicle. “Today, taxis are allowed to take up to three different people who do not know each other in the vehicleexplains Samir Attieh. Health Insurance tolerates it like that. But with this new convention, we go to eight people for those who have the matching vehicle. I would also like to tell you that, assuming that the hospital is 30 kilometers away, and that the eight people are spaced 10 or 15 kilometers apart, well that means that the first one, we take a 7:30 a.m. shift, so everything everyone will be happy, I can tell you that“, quips the president of the FNAT in Finistère and Morbihan.
We will meet in the morning at the Pen-ar-C'hleuz roundabout in Brest, with taxis coming from Quimperlé, Quimper, Morlaix and Roscoff. The taxis then meet at 11 a.m. at the sub-prefecture then at 2 p.m. at the Primary Health Insurance Fund in Brest.
