RIGA, April 9 (LETA) - On Monday, April 13, the taxi industry's protest will take place simultaneously in Riga, Daugavpils and Jelgava, shutting down the centers of these cities, as taxi industry organizations informed LETA.

The protests are being organized by the Taxi Industry Employers' Organization, the Latvian Light Taxi Industry Employers' Organization, the Licensed Commercial Passenger Carriers Development Association, and the Latvian Public Services and Transport Employees' Union.

The organizers of the protest claim that all the necessary permits have been obtained for the protests to take place in the three cities. The protest is being organized because the government has turned down the industry's ultimatum and has taken no real steps to curb the monopoly of the Bolt platform.

The taxi industry organizations are advocating for a fair and predictable taxi industry with healthy competition that allows new entrants, rather than destroys existing local operators. The industry organizations also say they prioritize interests of consumers: fares should be clear and reasonable, avoiding situations where the same route may cost EUR 10 or EUR 20 due to Bolt's arbitrary pricing.

The organizers point out that the protest is no longer limited to the capital - taxi drivers in Daugavpils and Jelgava are joining the protest to demonstrate unity of the industry and their disagreement with the current system.

The organizers of the protest also emphasize that the excise tax cut approved by the government has not worked as fuel prices are higher than before.

The protest in Riga will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., after which a press conference will take place.