Angry taxis: crisis meeting at the Ministry of Transport with François Bayrou to defuse the conflict

The new system will be based on a €13 charge from the French health insurance system, followed by a per-kilometer rate. It is designed to discourage empty return trips or excessively long waiting times. This pricing is scheduled to come into effect on October 1. The goal is to limit the growth in medical transport spending, which reached €6.74 billion in 2024, including €3.07 billion for licensed taxis (a 45% jump since 2019). According to Thomas Fatôme, Director General of the French health insurance system, "the vast majority of taxis will benefit from this new model, as it is based on the logic of transporting more patients."

Reimbursing patient transportation on prescription is a key business for some taxi drivers. Some of the protesters explained that the new pricing structure would cause them to lose a substantial portion of their revenue. Yves Rubicondo, a taxi driver in Pithiviers (Loiret) with three employees, who generates 95% of his revenue from health insurance, expects to lose 25 to 30% of his revenue.

"What the CNAM is proposing is viable, but we can't do everything at once. For me, it's a 60% reduction in turnover!" explained a taxi driver from the Lyon region who came to demonstrate in front of the Gare du Nord in Paris on Friday. The taxi drivers are demanding the withdrawal of the CNAM agreement and the appointment of a mediator. But the government already assured Friday that it "does not intend to back down."

Throughout the week, thousands of taxi drivers demonstrated, participated in slow-moving operations, and staged blockades near train stations and airports to make their voices heard. In Paris, the epicenter of the protests was on Boulevard Raspail, not far from the Ministry of Transport, where car horns and fireworks punctuated the week. The situation became tense on several occasions with the police, and four Parisian protesters were prosecuted.

Taxi organizations have also targeted VTC drivers, who work with platforms like Uber and Bolt, accusing them of unfair competition and irregular practices. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, whose mission is to regulate taxis, has also asked law enforcement to strengthen checks on chauffeur-driven vehicles (VTCs). In a telegram sent to prefects on Thursday, the Interior Minister highlighted "the recurring incidents" of recent months that "demonstrate the tension between taxis and VTC drivers."