Taxi drivers across France are putting on the brakes to clog traffic, slow access to airports and force would-be passengers to find alternate transport in a strike over government reforms.

Thousands of the drivers have been lining up in single file on roadsides across the country Thursday and not taking any fares to register their anger over government efforts to deregulate the transportation industry.

Taxi associations say reforms that allow for new taxi-like chauffeur business and farm off transportation of ill people to private companies will hurt their fare intake.

At Paris' Orly airport, with riot police on hand, scores of taxi drivers prevented access to the drop-off point at the West terminal - forcing air travelers to walk further to get inside.