F1 News: Dutch GP Protestor Threat Intensifies Ahead Of Race Weekend

Taxi drivers are furious for not being allowed around the Zandvoort Circuit

Tension has been mounting around the Dutch GP weekend as taxi drivers have intensified their protest for not being allowed to carry out their services around the circuit. 

The matter escalated between the local authorities, taxi drivers, and the race organizers after around 150 taxi drivers in the Haarlem area were denied access to the circuit area over the race weekend unless they had a special permit. 

Listen To The Latest Driven Mad Podcast Episode

The venue is expected to welcome around 100,000 fans which means it is a peak business period for taxi drivers. However, a spokesperson for the municipality of Zandvoort told RacingNews365 that new permits were not being issued to the taxi drivers since they have been obtained illegally in the past. 

As per the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the matter got worse after the taxi drivers found out that drivers outside Zandvoort had managed to obtain permits to the circuit. Sensing injustice, the drivers intensified their protests despite receiving clarification from the municipality of Zandvoort that several taxis had parking permits within the area which made them eligible for the access permit. 

Sensing their dissatisfaction, the chances of protests increasing during the Grand Prix weekend on Saturday and Sunday are high, though a resolution is trying to be reached before that which is expected to be announced on Friday. 

Just recently, climate change activists stormed into the CM.com Circuit Zandvoort as a display of protest against pollution and other activities. They blocked the access pathways leading to the facility despite being given a separate area to hold their protests. Eventually, the police arrested ten people from the group. 

Looking at two protest groups from Zandvoort, the situation around the GP weekend seems quite uncertain. The authorities would have to try their best to reach a compromise or beef up security to prevent any kind of wrongdoing during the qualifying and the Grand Prix.