Brussels taxi drivers plan strike on 19 June

Cabbies in the capital are unhappy with what they believe is the failure to implement measures agreed with the Brussels Regional Transport Minister Brigitte Grouwels (Flemish Christian democrat) in January.

Ms Grouwels had agreed to create 143 extra taxi ranks across Brussels before the end of this year as well as to hold talks with municipal authorities about the possibility of issuing nuisance behaviour fines to those who misbehave in taxis.

However, according to the taxi drivers, the Brussels regional authorities have done nothing to realise the measures agreed in January.

The taxi drivers are calling for the dismissal of the Head of the Brussels regional department responsible for taxis.

"We had to contact the City of Brussels ourselves to asked them to allow taxis onto bus lanes", a representative of one taxi drivers’ association told the Brussels regional website Brusselnieuws.be.

"Consultations were also planned with municipal authorities about sanctions for customers that don’t behave", the taxi drivers’ representative added.

[Flandersnews.be / Expatica]