Taxi drivers paralyse Rio de Janeiro in protest against Uber

Rio De Janeiro: Hundreds of taxi drivers in Rio de Janeiro paralysed Brazil's second largest city on Wednesday in protest against their rivals, Uber. The taxi drivers blocked off seven major traffic hotspots across the city during morning rush hour, provoking huge traffic jams and delays, Xinhua reported.

The protesters also positioned themselves in front of certain hotels and commercial centers, where customers often rely on Uber vehicles to move around. Many drivers also held signs aloft denouncing Uber while others threw eggs at the doors of hotels which offer the Uber service to their guests.

Later in the day, different groups of protesters joined forces and marched together on the town hall of Rio de Janeiro, demanding that Uber be banned. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, signed a law in September banning Uber.