Brussels taxi drivers plan protest against Uber in mid-September

Taxi drivers in Brussels are planning to block traffic in the Belgian capital on Sept. 16 in a coordinated European protest against the online ride-sharing service Uber, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Taxis United, an association representing the Belgian taxi sector, is hoping that drivers in other European capitals, including London and Madrid, will also take part in the day of action.

A Taxis United spokesperson told the newspaper: "If the action goes ahead, it will not be a strike but a protest action against the growth of the American company (Uber) in Europe, which will block traffic in the capital."

The association is consulting with other unions and taxi operators to plan how the protest will unfold, Le Soir reported, with further details expected on Sept. 4.

The newspaper added that licensed taxi drivers in Brussels are also considering offering half-price rides on Sept. 13.

Le Soir said there have been violent clashes between licensed taxi drivers and Uber operators in the Belgian capital - after what the newspaper describes as a "wave of protests" by taxi drivers in Paris, where the Uberpop service has since been banned.

The powerful taxi lobby gave an ultimatum to the Belgian federal government in July, threatening to take action if action was not taken to ban the car-sharing service by the start of September.

Roadside checks by police are frequent and several Uber vehicles have been confiscated. A Brussels court convicted an Uber driver in May of exercising an illegal taxi activity, however Le Soir reported that the driver involved is appealing against the sentence. Endit