Transportation headaches in France as taxi drivers, air traffic controllers strike

Taxis clogged roadways and airlines canceled flights this week as transportation strikes reverberated throughout France.

Taxi unions want the French government to enforce laws regulating Uber-like companies, while air traffic controllers are asking for better wages and pensions.

Thousands of taxis were on strike Tuesday, according to Jean-Michel Rebours, president of the Defense Union of Parisian Taxis. Protesting drivers snarled traffic along the highways circling Paris and the roads leading to the city’s major airports.

Officials encouraged travelers to take the train when possible.

The taxi unions are calling for laws to be enforced that prohibit Uber-like services from picking up clients on the street that haven’t been previously booked. Taxis are the only services allowed to do so.

The French Civil Aviation Authority told airlines to downsize their flight schedules by 20% at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports near Paris as well as the airports at Bordeaux, Marseilles, Nice, Toulouse, Lyon and Nantes as air traffic controllers went on strike. Most long-haul flights were on schedule. The walkout had a great impact on flights within Europe.

“Our flights schedule is being updated. Last-minute delays and cancellations can also be expected,” Air France said. “Before going to the airport, we recommend you to verify the flight schedule information updated in real time on our site.”

The strikes are scheduled to last into Wednesday.

CNN’s Stephanie Halasz, Brooke Bowman and Chris Liakos contributed to this report.