CONTACT:

Bill Wirtz

Policy Analyst

Consumer Choice Center

Taxi strike in Brussels: cities need to defend consumer choice in ridesharing

Brussels, BE – On March 27, Brussels’ taxi drivers are organising a strike which will lead to considerable traffic jams within Belgium’s capital. They are protesting against ‘unfair practices’ through ridesharing apps such as Uber, Taxify, and more, and demand immediate action by local authorities.

Bill Wirtz, Policy Analyst for the Consumer Choice Center (CCC) says that this strike action is a public display of old industries’ resentment against innovation:

“Ridesharing platforms such as Uber, Taxify, or Heetch have reduced prices for consumers by making the market more competitive. We should welcome their operations,” said Wirtz.

“These companies aren’t only competing with taxis. They also attract new consumers who wouldn’t use conventional taxis to begin with. This includes students and low-income consumers. Reducing the choices of these groups would be fundamentally unjust.

“If taxi drivers want to protest unfair practices, they should argue against the licensing system that is over regulating their profession. We can create a level playing field by allowing all actors to compete on the market.

“Blocking large parts of a major European city in order to maintain a monopoly is not a legitimate way of expressing concerns over public policy,” said Wirtz.

***CCC’s Policy Analyst Bill Wirtz is available to speak with accredited media on consumer regulations and consumer choice issues. Please send media inquiries HERE.***
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The CCC represents consumers in over 100 countries across the globe. We closely monitor regulatory trends in Ottawa, Washington, Brussels, Geneva and other hotspots of regulation and inform and activate consumers to fight for #ConsumerChoice. Learn more at consumerchoicecenter.org.