TVDE drivers stage mass protest in Lisbon demanding fairer pay and fuel aid

Ivo Fernandes of the Portuguese Association of Deregulated Vehicle Transport Operators (APTAD) and Victor Soares of the National TVDE Movement Association (ANM-TVDE) told Lusa news agency that the protest comes at a time when operators and drivers "have aligned on a set of demands, though some disagreements remain."

They explained that, for now, all parties agree on three key points: pushing ride-hailing platforms to raise fares, opposing a proposed revision to Law 45/2018 that would allow taxis to operate as TVDE (individual and paid passenger transport in unmarked vehicles), and calling on the government to provide fuel subsidies.

According to APTAD, the action is being organized by TVDE drivers and operators—many of whom are also well-known social media content creators, including Bruno Benedito, Tiago "TVDE do Tuga," Rui TVDE, and Américo Matos.

For those unable to travel to Lisbon's protest gathering point at Campo Pequeno by 10:00 AM, Ivo Fernandes noted that drivers can still participate by stopping work wherever they are across the country.

He added that, unlike previous demonstrations, there will be no motorcade or parade. Instead, vehicles will remain stationary while drivers and operators make their way independently to the headquarters of Bolt on Avenida da Liberdade and Uber on Avenida Barbosa du Bocage. They are expected to arrive at the Assembly of the Republic by 1:00 PM.

During the protest, organizers will personally deliver a list of sector demands to both the platforms and political decision-makers.

In a statement sent to Lusa, a group identifying itself as "couriers and drivers working for Glovo, Uber Eats, and TVDE platforms nationwide" announced a separate 24-hour strike also set for today.

Official data from the platform created by the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT) in collaboration with Uber and Bolt—used to monitor TVDE activity—shows that in March, there were 39,615 active certified drivers and 14,649 active operators registered.