GTL immediately responded with a press release that it has distanced itself from the request of many taxi drivers calling for a stop in the taxi industry. The national federation of the taxi sector GTL contradicts the Brussels collective of taxi drivers and makes it clear that, for their part, there is no demand to have the taxi driver's activities stopped by the government.

In a previous report, the Collective of Taxi drivers and the union ACV-Transcom announced that there is a demand from the Brussels taxi sector to stop the activities. There is up to 80 percent less work, the hygiene regulations cannot be observed and the self-employed drivers in particular are suffering from the situation, it sounds.

GTL extension contradicts this and emphasizes that many companies do not demand this measure today.

"The employers' organization is aware of the many frustrations, because of the very low level of activity and the risks that drivers run because of the difficult access to protective equipment such as disinfectant gel, gloves and masks," says GTL.

The transport offer should therefore continue to be guaranteed for certain key sectors such as airports, hospitals and health care providers or staff of public transport companies. That is precisely why efforts are still expected from the government to assist the taxi sector in these difficult times. 

"We expect additional support from the government to continue to provide those services in a cost-effective and safe manner, while emphasizing that self-employed taxi drivers who wish to do so can already stop operating today and are relying on the pandemic to receive public support", said GTL.

The employers' organization believes that the taxi is a public service. However, the government sees this differently and has not placed the sector on the list of crucial professions. The question is what public utility is served here?

Also read: Taxi drivers in Europe left behind in the pandemic