Disruptions are expected on the roads between Marseille and the Lançon-de-Provence toll this Monday, December 2, in particular on the A7 motorwayin both directions of traffic.
Several taxi gatherings are planned from 6 a.m. at Valentine, Grand Littoral and Plan-de-Campagne to then reach the Lançon-de-Provence toll.
According to the Bouches-du-Rhône Prefecture, the Valentine and Grand Littoral convoys will leave at 7 a.m. and that of Plan-de-Campagne will leave at 8 a.m. They will head towards the Lançon-de-Provence tollwhere they must be joined by taxis from Toulouse, Aude, Hérault and Gard according to the organizers of the mobilization.
And filter dam will be put in place on the Lançon-de-Provence toll in both directions, which will significantly increase traffic times.
According to the prefecture of the South zone, three additional peripheral processions are planned towards Lançon : a gathering at 6 a.m. for a departure around 7 a.m. at the Saint Martin de Crau toll, which concerns the 100 to 200 taxis expected from Occitanie; a gathering around 8 a.m. at the Barque toll for the 100 to 200 taxis expected from the Alpes-Maritimes; and a final procession which will leave from the Cavaillon tollbooth for the thirty taxis from Vaucluse.
The prefecture considers that 600 to 800 taxis are expected in the morning at the Lançon-de-Provence tollbooth.
Taxis denounce health transport reform
This upcoming reform of taxi remuneration has been mobilizing for several months. Just last week, there were two mobilizations in front of the CPAM in Marseille, where they notably burned tires.
In this reform, taxi drivers denounce a downward revision of mileage ratesgoing from 1.60 euros/km to 0.94 euros/km. Time spent in traffic jams or waiting in front of health centers will no longer be counted. Contracted taxis expect to have heavy salary losses, of around 40% of their income, if the reform applies to vehicles transporting patients from their homes to the hospital.
“Today, we already give a 20% discount to Social Security, and Social Security is asking us to add a 25% discount for most of our patients”details Yazid Ziani, vice-president of the independent taxi union of France. “It’s the death of all taxi companies if this convention sees the light of day, as a business manager, I would be forced to lay off all my staff”adds the taxi driver in Marseille.
