Third day of taxi mobilization to protest against the change in pricing for medical transport, provided for in the new Health Insurance convention. In order to make 300 million euros in savings on this medical transport, the Barnier government wishes to force taxis and medical transporters to negotiate measures with Health Insurance, under penalty of imposed price reductions.
franceinfo takes stock of the mobilization with the France Bleu network.
Île-de-France
In Paris, the taxi rally was to last until Thursday on the Esplanade des Invalides, behind the National Assembly. But the taxis were dislodged by the police on Tuesday evening, around 8 p.m. On France Bleu Paris, the association behind the mobilization, however, announced on Wednesday that other blockages are possible before the end of the week.
The prefectural decree specifies that another gathering place, Cours de Vincennes, was offered to the collective. But the drivers refused it. “There is really no interest in terms of visibility, explains on France Bleu Paris Walid Hanida, the president of the Team Taxi association, at the origin of the mobilization. Why go demonstrate in a place that has no strategic interest, and bring drivers to find themselves in a totally isolated part of Paris.”
The movement is not over, however, the Team Taxi association indicates to France Bleu Paris that drivers from other large cities plan to gather. Lyon drivers are preparing to go to Paris, and could block, according to Walid Hanida, “strategic places”before the weekend.
Center-Val de Loire
In the Loiret, taxis blocked several bridges in Orléans on Wednesday morning. Since 7 a.m., they have been organizing filter barriers on the bridges in Orléans. They also plan to slow down traffic on the tangential, or even on the A10. At 8 a.m. Jérémie Racon, secretary of the Loiret Taxi Federation, assured France Bleu Orléans that on the Thinat bridge, “There are around fifty of us. With the police, we blocked two lanes on each side, so 25 cars on each side to slow down traffic and filter at the same time”. Same thing on the Bridge of Europe. They will stay on the bridges “until mid-morning”. Then they will “regroup at the CPAM of Orléans, still in snail operation to show our dissatisfaction and then part of the convoy will relay it to our colleagues who are in Paris”continues Jérémie Racon.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
In Isère, taxis have returned to the A43 between Saint-Quentin-Fallavier and Lyon (Rhône). Around a hundred vehicles are blocking traffic, assures Marc Dutriaux, president of the Isère taxi union, to France Bleu Isère. The drivers have planned a snail operation until midday which is causing traffic jams.
