Key Takeaways
- Taxi drivers in Brussels will protest against the mandatory Dutch language exam required to work at Brussels Airport.
- Over 70% of taxi drivers fear losing their jobs due to the language exam.
- The Flemish authorities believe that knowledge of the Dutch language is necessary to work with customers and make taxi services more attractive to the local population.
Brussels: Taxi drivers serving Brussels Airport in Belgium’s capital to protest on Friday against the government’s proposal requiring them to pass a mandatory Dutch language exam Starting July 2024, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported.
The drivers, in coordination with three major unions, will suspend customer service for two and a half hours on Friday, the report said.
The majority of people in Brussels speak French, but Brussels Airport is located in the municipality of Zaventem, a Dutch-speaking area. Starting July 2024, Francophone drivers will need to pass a mandatory Dutch language exam to work at the airport, or risk losing their permit. Over 70% of taxi drivers fear that they will not be able to pass the exam and will lose their jobs.
The Flemish authorities believe that knowledge of the Dutch language is necessary to work with customers and make taxi services more attractive to the local population.
