Mexico City, July 29 (teleSUR-RHC)-- App-based taxi booking service Uber was the target of violent demonstrations in Mexico City on Tuesday, as angry cab drivers destroyed five vehicles used by the multinational company, while others were pelted with flour and eggs.

Drivers of traditional cabs protested over frustration caused by the unfair competition presented by Uber, which has lowered the affected families’ incomes by up to 50 percent.

Antonio Gomez Barajas, director of Benito Juarez social movement, said the neglect of the capital city’s authorities had allowed Uber vehicles to park in the five principal streets of Peñon, close to the lucrative airport grounds, seriously affecting authorized taxis.

On its Twitter account, Uber said the incident was “a serious attack on the right to earn a living with dignity,” condemning the violence.

Earlier this month, Mexico City proposed regulations for the controversial app-based car service Uber that will require the company to pay licensing fees and obtain permits for drivers. The new regulations would include a yearly licensing fee of $101 for each Uber car, a transit fund levy of 1.5 percent of the company's revenues in Mexico, and rules banning cash payment, requiring private car services to offer customers prepaid ride plans.

Uber has been target of protests, with demonstrations taking place on a regular basis worldwide. In Brazil last week, thousands of taxi drivers protested in Rio de Janeiro, against the use of illegal drivers. Other complaints leveled at the company including its poor protection of workers’ rights.