Taxi drivers staged a major protest over a new phone app called Uber Wednesday June 11,2014

Commuters in central London faced gridlock today Wednesday June 11,2014 after taxi drivers staged a major protest over the introduction of cut-price fare app Uber. 

Black cab drivers and licensed taxis converged at Trafalgar Square for the go-slow protest to show their opposition to Uber, an app which allows customers to book and track vehicles.

It was one of a number of protests to take part across Europe as licensed drivers opposed the app, which they claim is putting them out of business and encouraging unlicensed drivers to operate with no checks on their legitimacy.
Despite the protests, the technology firm behind Uber confirmed a surge in downloads for the app, with a week-on-week increase of 850 per cent.
It also today launched a new black cab booking feature called UberTaxi in a bid to placate drivers.

Protests were staged across Europe, including in Berlin, Germany (pictured), as licensed drivers opposed the Uber app, which they claim is putting them out of business and encouraging unlicensed drivers to operate

 Taxi drivers gathered next to the Olympia Stadium in Berlin, Germany to protest against ride-sharing apps

Spanish taxi drivers opposed apps such as Uber during a protest in Barcelona

In Naples, Italy, protesters held huge banners and placards as they protested to the rise of internet applications being used to book taxi rides

Traffic in Paris, France, was severely disrupted as thousands of taxi drivers blocked key roads in the city to protest against the competition from mobile apps

Uber is one of a number of apps people can use to book and pay for taxi journeys.
Launched in 2009 and currently in operation in more than 70 cities across 37 countries, the app makes cities more accessible for people by ‘seamlessly connecting riders to drivers’, according to the company website.
The app detects the GPS on a mobile device and finds the nearest available driver.
Users can track the vehicle, pay with their phone, and even split the fare with friends using a credit card system.
Its on-demand service means reservations can be booked over the phone and passengers don’t have to wait in line at a taxi rank.
Users can compare rates for different vehicles and get specific fare quotes via the app, before paying for a booking using a debit card or PayPal.
It also allows users to track their driver once a cab has been ordered, so passengers know exactly what time they will be collected and if their taxi has been held up.