Brussels Airlines's Uber stunt draws ire of Belgian taxi drivers

Taxi drivers are up in arms. They point out that the Uber service that allows you to book an unlicensed car via a smartphone app is illegal in Belgium. The airline counters this by saying passengers are not supposed to use the voucher in Belgium.

Brussels Airlines insists that the voucher should only be used in countries where Uber is legal and that the it is handy for people arriving at a foreign destination and heading for their hotel.

The Belgian taxi sector has roundly condemned the initiative. Spokesman Pierre Steenberghen says that the airline is encouraging the use of an operator that promotes illegal transportation: "If it goes on like this more and more people will opt for this system. They won't pay taxes and social contributions, only the 20% levy charged by Uber."

The taxi sector intends to take the matter up with the Flemish mobility minister and the federal secretary of state charged with combatting fraud. Earlier drivers operating under the Uber system in Belgium had their vehicles seized.