Hungary government sides with taxi drivers against Uber

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - The Hungarian government says it supports taxi drivers in their protest against ride-hailing apps like Uber.

Officials said Wednesday they would initiate talks with drivers to draft legislation aimed at unifying regulations for taxis and other passenger services, like Uber.

Uber said in a statement that it welcomed the government's position about the need for "a new, modern regulatory framework" and also welcomed the opportunity to participate in the talks.

State Secretary Bence Tuzson, however, told Hungarian state news wire MTI that Uber would not be invited to the talks and that it could be banned if it did not respect the laws.

Since Monday, dozens of taxi drivers have been blocking off several lanes of a key intersection in downtown Budapest demanding that authorities ban Uber.