Marseille, Paris, Nantes… several hundred VTC drivers are protesting against an increase in their numbers.

They are protesting, in particular, against the increase in the number of proposals, which makes them fear increased competition. Several hundred VTC drivers demonstrated this Monday morning in several major cities, including Marseille, Nantes and Paris. In Marseille, about 200 drivers took to the streets of the city center and then drove along the A7 motorway towards the airport located in Marignane, said Ilias Mezoir, a representative of the Union of VTC drivers of Marseille (UCVM).

The union regrets the arrival of around 5,000 new drivers in 2024 in the Marseille region due to the increase in the number of drivers. “This will not allow everyone to work,” criticized Ilias Mezoir. According to UCVM, there are 4,700 VTC drivers in Marseille (some working part-time), including 1,800 for whom this is their main activity.

“Regionalization” of drivers?

Another requirement of Marseille is that drivers should be regionalized so that their activities are limited to a geographic region. This would avoid the influx of drivers from other regions during the tourist season to the detriment of local residents.

However, regarding the Uber booking platform, we mention a figure of 1,200 people with seasonal peaks in the summer (1,600 in July 2023). “Demand for Uber rides has increased significantly, and although new drivers have joined us, the number of drivers still does not allow us to fulfill all the rides booked. The market is large enough for every VTC driver to carry out his activities,” said a platform representative.

According to the INV union, in Paris two processions, totaling about a thousand drivers, left the airports of Orly and Roissy this Monday morning and then converged on Place Saint-Augustin, near the Elysee Palace. In addition to limiting the numerus clausus and providing access to Olympic routes, the strikers demanded that France support European legislation on the rights of platform workers.

The government, like other countries such as Italy and Sweden, opposed the legislation in negotiations with the European Parliament, which planned to reclassify as employees many people working for apps such as Uber or Deliveroo, which are now considered independent.

According to David Tan, representative of the VTC 44 collective and local representative of the INV union, between 50 and 80 VTCs have united in Nantes. The prefecture also mentions about sixty participants. “As with taxis, we must limit the number of VTCs so as not to harm our commercial development,” the representative also emphasized.

Drivers are also demanding access to restricted traffic zones (ZTLs), where currently they can only pick up or drop off a customer.