Jakarta chaos as cabbies protest ride apps

Thousands of taxi drivers are causing traffic chaos in the Indonesian capital in a protest against competition from ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Grab.

TV footage on Tuesday showed long lines of taxis blocking a central expressway in Jakarta and men jumping on vehicles that refused to join the protest.

An Associated Press reporter witnessed drivers surrounding one taxi, forcing its female passenger onto the road with her luggage.

It's the second major protest by taxi drivers in Jakarta in March.

They say competition from ride-hailing apps, which do not face the same costs and rules as regular taxis, has severely reduced their income.