The taxi union in Cannes is threatening to blockade Nice airport this summer, according to ICI Nice, unless the préfecture steps up enforcement against private hire drivers it accuses of operating illegally along the Croisette.
The union says the number of VTC vehicles working the seafront has grown steadily, and that some are touting for fares electronically, a practice banned for private hire operators. Taxi representatives say the result is a public space they describe as saturated, and a level of competition they consider unfair to licensed drivers.
Municipal police have made some arrests of drivers found in breach of the rules, but the union says this hasn't gone far enough. It's calling for national police to take a more active role, and says préfecture oversight has been inconsistent.
The dispute echoes one that played out in Nice in April, when around 130 taxi drivers staged an impromptu protest at Nice Côte d'Azur airport over VTC vehicles parked illegally outside the arrivals terminal. Nice's taxi union later filed a legal complaint against the platform Bolt, arguing its pricing amounted to unfair competition. One driver told France 3 Régions at the time that a VTC fare from Nice to Cannes ran to around 35 to 40 euros, against a préfecture regulated taxi fare of roughly 85 euros for the same route.
Whether the Cannes union follows through on its airport threat this summer remains to be seen.