Image via Twitter
The streets of Mexico City resounded with the chant "Uber Out!" Monday, as hundreds of local medallion taxi drivers marched in protest of the popular online ride service, the Associated Press reported. Some created traffic issues on the city's main boulevard by driving their distinctive pink-and-white cabs in ranks.
According to the AP, their main complaints regarding Uber and ride-sharing services in general, is that they aren't subject to the same tax, registration, and safety laws as regular cabs.
Taxi drivers' leader Eleazar Romero said to the rally, "we are not against technology. We just want a level playing field, we want everyone to follow the same tax rules we do."
The leaders were apologetic about snarling traffic, but declared they were facing unfair competition.
Uber's response on their blog was an offer of two rides - worth about $10 - for free to Mexico City commuters. On Twitter, their trending hashtag roughly translates as "If Mexico won't stop, Uber won't stop."
Meanwhile, both sides of the conflict had trending hashtags on Twitter in Mexico, with #Ubersequeda - "Uber is sticking around" - opposing a rival hashtag, roughly "Uber is going," used by people who oppose the service.
Mexico City officials told the AP they are looking into ways to regulate Uber, but feel it is a good idea for medallion cabs to get up-to-date and embrace app technology.
The AP said Mexico City medallion cabs can be poorly maintained, and "frequently" been accused of passenger assaults and overcharging.
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