Faced with a drastic drop in their activities, taxis are demanding compensation for disrupted activity due to the 2024 Olympics.
With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in full swing right now, a wave of discontent is brewing within the taxi profession.
According to a letter published by franceinfo and consulted by AFP, Taxi unions express deep disappointment at impact of Games on their businessdescribing the situation as “big disappointment” for the entire profession. Contrary to expectations, demand remains “in slow motion” and the exercise of their profession is severely hampered.
The customers are not there
The unions point out that the spectators who came for the Olympic Games do not compensate for the negative effects of the restrictive measures imposed by the organization of the event. Indeed, Traffic restrictions, closures of premises, and the deterrence of regular customers have led to a significant drop in taxi activityThis situation began in the spring of 2024, with the first privatizations of Olympic sites and many other event venues, not only in Île-de-France, but also in the provinces, particularly in the Marseille region.
Taxi activity in June 2024 was significantly lower than the previous year, a drop directly attributed to the 2024 Olympics. In addition, government efforts to encourage city dwellers to take vacations or opt for teleworking, as well as the reduction of professional events, have further aggravated the situation. Since July 18, the situation has further deteriorated with the establishment of security perimeters around the Olympic sites and the neutralization of many taxi ranks in these areas, making their activity even more difficult.
This drop in activity has financial consequences for taxi drivers. Unions are warning of a drop in income that could reach “up to 50%” in some cases, while fixed costs continue to increase. In Île-de-France, nearly 90% of taxi drivers affiliated with G7 had initially planned to work during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, hoping to take advantage of the Olympic lanes reserved on major roads. These lanes, prohibited for VTCs, were intended to allow taxis to save time, particularly on the ring road and journeys from airports.
Little economic impact
However, despite these expectations, the reality has proven to be quite different. While taxi business usually drops by 40% during the summer, unions had hoped that visitors to the Games would make up for this loss, as was the case in London during the 2012 Olympics. But the situation in Paris is looking much more complicated, with economic benefits that are slow to appear.
Faced with this crisis, taxi unions are asking the Ministry of Transport to create a “financial compensation fund” to cover the entire period of privatization of event sites or public spaces, from March to the end of October 2024.
The request is aimed at covering losses suffered by taxi drivers due to disruption caused by the 2024 Olympic Games.
Source: www.autoplus.fr
