A threat has been raised that the Monaco Grand Prix could be impacted by protesting taxi drivers in the south of France. The opening day of the Cannes Film Festival was recently affected by taxi drivers blocking Terminal 2 of Nice Airport.
Taxi drivers are irritated with rising licence checks as part of a crackdown on fraud and took their frustrations out on Wednesday by sending travellers plans into chaos in Nice.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the jewel in the crown of Formula 1, and the sport will be on high alert after it was suggested that the first day of on-track action – Thursday May 23 – will be targeted next if upcoming talks with local officials do not materialise or end satisfactorily.
"We have today secured a promise to meet with city officials, but this is only a promise. If we do not get satisfaction, we are ready to go further," Nice Matin quoted one of the protesting drivers, named Said, as saying.
— SYNDICAT TAXIS NIÇOIS (@SyndicatTaxis) May 14, 2019
"If we do not have an answer by May 22, it's simple. The 23rd is the beginning of the Monaco GP and we will block everything. Today there was 70 of us, there will be 200."
Film site Deadline reports that the protest at Nice Airport was not actively broken up by local police, suggesting that any attempt to sabotage the race could be allowed to happen.
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