Cab demonstration postponed: last-minute announcement upsets traffic forecasts for the start of the new school year in the Paris region. The cab unions, mobilized against the reform of health transport, have decided to suspend their action until they know the future of François Bayrou's government. A strategic postponement that testifies to the political dimension of this protest, which has been agitating the profession for several months.
The nationwide mobilization was initially scheduled to include blockades on the Champs-Élysées, at Roissy and Orly airports, and in the vicinity of the main stations in the Paris region. Cab drivers in Paris and the Île-de-France region were expected to demonstrate en masse against an agreement that profoundly alters their working conditions in patient transport.
The cab strike is part of a nationwide protest movement against the new pricing system imposed by the Frenchhealth insurance system. This reform, due to come into force in October 2025, provides for a single tariff of 13 euros for contracted medical transport, compared with the current 26 euros. Cab professionals estimate that this measure could reduce their remuneration by 30 to 40%.
The stakes go far beyond the Paris region. This agreement, published in the Journal Officiel in August, aims to contain Health Insurance expenditure, which reached 6.74 billion euros in 2024 for medical transport, including 3.07 billion for contracted cabs. An increase of 45% since 2019 that the French government wants to curb.
Ile-de-France drivers are particularly critical of the impact on rural and suburban areas, where medical transport is often an essential part of the business. In Yvelines, Seine-et-Marne andEssonne, many cabs depend heavily on these services to maintain their economic equilibrium.
Thecab federations announced the postponement in a statement broadcast by franceinfo. " Our demands remain intact, and the federations therefore call on the entire profession to remain mobilized and ready to act as soon as the situation is clarified ", the text states. This decision was prompted by Prime Minister François Bayrou 's announcement that he would seek the confidence of Parliament on September 8.
The strategy is clear: wait for the outcome of the vote of confidence before relaunching actions. If the government is confirmed, the cab unions will immediately resume dialogue and planned actions. If the executive falls, they will act with the same determination against the new government.
This cautious approach reflects the experience gained from previous mobilizations. Since May 2025, French cabs have organized several large-scale days of action, including escargot operations on the main Paris freeways and airport blockades. These actions have already disrupted traffic in the Paris region on several occasions, notably in the vicinity of Charles-de-Gaulle andOrly airports.
The postponement of the demonstration in no way signifies the abandonment of the movement. The cab federations are maintaining their demands and their determination to defeat this reform. They are calling for the current taximeter-based pricing system, adapted to regional specificities, to be maintained, and for the proposed single fare imposed by the CNAM to be cancelled.
This mobilization is taking place against a tense social backdrop, with a citizens' call to "blockade the country on September 10 " circulating massively on social networks. Cab drivers could join this wider protest against budget cuts and the abolition of public holidays announced by the government.
Ile-de-France users should remain vigilant. Although the September 5 demonstration has been postponed, new actions could be organized quickly, depending on how the political situation develops. Public transport via the RATP and SNCF remains the recommended alternative in the event of disruption.
We advise you to follow traffic developments in real time on Sytadin, and to allow extra time for travel to Paris airports. The profession remains mobilized and ready to resume action as soon as the political context becomes clearer.
