ISLAMABAD, Aug 20 (INP): Taxi drivers staged on Sunday a protest rally in Islamabad against online cab services, demanding authorities to put a ban on ride-hailing services including Uber and Careem. The protesters, comprising 50 to 60 taxis backed by the Taxi Drivers Association, took to the streets at Faizabad Interchange at 10am. The protest briefly turned violent at Rawal Chowk, when taxi drivers smashed the windows of vehicles belonging to two private cab companies. Similar protests have been held in other parts of the country by conventional taxi and rickshaw drivers who allege that private cab companies have affected their livelihood. Earlier this year, Punjab's Transport Authority declared that private cab companies, such as Careem and Uber, were operating "without registering the private cars with any regulatory body" and therefore, must be banned. A similar announcement was made by Sindh Transport Secretary Taha Farooqi. The decision, however, was later withdrawn. INP/AJ