Taxi drivers cancel protest on Monday and are received tomorrow in Bethlehem – Diário de Notícias – Lisbon

“it is Not the time to do more any demonstration,” said Florêncio Almeida, president of the Antral, after meeting with the Portuguese Federation of Taxi

The two associations representative of the sector of the taxi announced today that they have cancelled the protest scheduled for Monday. The Representatives of the National Association of Carriers by Road in Light Vehicles ( ANTRAL) and the Portuguese Federation of Taxi will be received on Friday at 15:00 in the Palace of Belém by an advisor of the President of the Republic, said to the Lusa source of the Presidency.

“it is Not the time to do more any manifestation, idle or concentration,” said the president of the ANTRAL, Florêncio de Almeida, after a meeting with the Portuguese Federation of Taxi in Lisbon.

the representatives of The taxis met on Monday have blocked access in the area of the Lisbon airport, at the Roundabout of the Clock, for more than 15 hours, in a protest that should have ended in the Assembly of the Republic.

The taxi drivers objected to the proposal of the Government to regulate the activity of electronic platforms such as the Uber and Cabify (the only ones operating in Portugal), to which are attached transport operators with cars descaraterizados.

The industry requires that the number of vehicles allocated to those platforms is limited, as is the case with the taxis, among other claims, and had marked a new protest for Monday, next to the Palace of Belém and to the chambers of Porto and Faro.

Florêncio de Almeida said today that, “not being the President of the Republic [in Switzerland], it would not be fair to go to Bethlehem”.

“Also don’t want to put the President of the Republic on the pressure because the degree of the Government has not yet been approved, nor was the Council of Ministers, being still in the discussion policy,” said the president of the ANTRAL, adding that they will wait for the “political developments” in the coming days.

Already the president of the Portuguese Federation of Taxi, Carlos Ramos, said that going to be requested a “hearing in the urgent with the President of the Republic until Monday” and that, if they are not received by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (who is in Switzerland between Sunday and Tuesday”), will keep the scheduled meeting with the advisors of the Belém Palace on Monday.

Carlos Ramos said to reporters that the desconvocação of protest “cannot be understood as a dropping of arms”, stressing that the industry keeps dispostosa a dialogue with the Government.

“We will continue to fight for our objectives”, said Carlos Ramos.