Taxis will be hard to find in Bucharest this week, due to a scheduled taxi drivers' protest. The Licensed Operators and Transport Confederation of Romania (COTAR) announced that Tuesday and Wednesday (April 24 and 25 ), over 2,000 taxi drivers and authorized transport companies will protest, requesting the approval of changes to the Taxi Law. Taxi driver rallies will take place between 10:00 and 14:00 in front of the Parliament building and the Ministry of Transport.

This protest follows a smaller one at the beginning of April, when taxi drivers asked for the same changes to the Taxi Law: tariffs set by the local authority, approval of activity only within the city/locality where license was issued, and canceling the mandatory use of a dispatcher.

“We asked for the approval of 14,500 cars but they only approved 2,000. There won't be just buses involved this week, tourist buses and minibuses will also be affected. During both days the cars will be at the Parliament on the Izvor side street and 400 people will protest in front of the Ministry of Transport where they didn’t approve the cars” said Vasile Stefanescu, the president of the Licensed Operators and Transport Confederation of Romania (COTAR).

The leader of COTAR said there is a possibility that the protest in front of the Parliament will continue after the time authorized by the municipality.

The members of COTAR said that if their demands are met by Tuesday, they will not protest on Wednesday. If  the case isn't resolved, taxi drivers and transporters have promised national protests.

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com