Romanian taxi drivers threaten hunger strike in protest against ride-sharing companies

Romanian taxi drivers continued to protest on Tuesday in Bucharest against ride-sharing companies, which they have accused of causing unfair competition.

They're calling for the government to enforce the limiting of alternative transport services such as those offered by ride-sharing apps.

More than 1,000 cars blocked Constitution Square on Monday with many drivers sleeping in their cars overnight. Participation was expected to be even greater on Tuesday with some 1,800 cars joining the action.

The protest will continue until Wednesday when taxi drivers have threatened to go on hunger strike if their demands aren't met.

According to one taxi driver, sleeping in a car was "pretty difficult," as it is "hard, to lay down only at 90 degrees, 30 degrees ... most of us couldn't sleep, it was also cold. But, what can we do? We must resist... We will stand up and wait for a signal from the Prime Minister, from the government and so on".

Leading the protest is the National Association of the Employers of Transport Operators in the Taxi Regime (ANPOTRT). Its president, Remus Nedelcu, said that as of Monday night, they were still waiting to hear from the government.

"We are waiting for someone to call us, to talk, to tell our people from all over the country that this OG 49 law (on alternative transport) will be regulated. We hope to solve it," he said.

Earlier he explained that the protest was to ensure that: "The whole of Europe hears that here regulation is not desired, as has happened in most European countries."

He also added that the "taxi service is on the verge of collapse," according to Digi24.

The taxi drivers' main demands include limiting alternative transport services according to criteria similar to those for taxi services, eliminating the issuance of permits for rented cars, and raising the maximum age of authorised cars to ten years.

They also demand the elimination of dynamic pricing and compliance with tax laws regarding taxi services, reports Romania Insider.