The Guà rdia Urbana de Barcelona is intensifying this week its fight against all those who compete unfairly with taxi drivers throughout the metropolitan area. Thus, as could be seen just yesterday in the vicinity of the Sants railway station, one of the hottest spots in the city, the municipal police were checking whether the rental vehicles with drivers coming and going were working in accordance with the regulations .
This campaign by the Urban Guard started on Monday and will last all week. In the first two and a half days they made 42 inspections, filed 27 complaints and immobilized a dozen cars. Each penalty imposed is vigorously applauded by the taxi drivers. And the immobilization of vehicles and the arrival of the municipal crane triggers the euphoria of these drivers. City Council sources emphasized that this is a regular initiative.
“The aim of this specific control device – point out the municipal sources – is to control the correct use of vehicles with up to nine seats dedicated to the transport of passengers, whether they are parked or moving around the city, to control trespassing and unauthorized conduct. The type of conduct that is sanctioned is mainly related to the parking and circulation of VTC vehicles, which cannot park or circulate with the intention of attracting customers. These controls are being carried out in train and bus stations, points of tourist interest, commercial areas, main roads…”.
The truth is that the definitive application of the decree law of the Generalitat which, since the beginning of the year, severely restricts the activity of rental cars with a driver is a bit confusing. The vehicles that have been providing this service for years through the applications of the major digital platforms – Bolt, Uber and Cabify – continue to circulate in the city despite not meeting all the requirements established by this new framework.
The paperwork, the processing of the new permits, is turning out to be much more confusing than expected. In addition, the recent appearance of a thousand VTC licenses still with the right to extension in a drawer of the Department of Territories fuels the bewilderment. However, what is clear is that these cars must be hired at least a quarter of an hour in advance and that they cannot roam the streets trying to get customers.
Despite the fact that the immobilization of offenders is being frequent throughout the city, the taxi drivers of the metropolitan area continue to watch with their weapons and prepare their new protests against the proliferation of pirate drivers at Barcelona airport. In fact, on Monday they plan to carry out “an invasion of the lobby of Terminal 1, including stopping the service for the duration of the rally”.
In addition, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday they will mount “an infernal whistle”, “a slow march between terminals” and “a second invasion”. The union warns that if the Generalitat and Aena do not meet their demands, they will strengthen their protests. The taxi drivers demand, among many other things, that they improve the areas dedicated to taxis and waiting for them, that the Mossos and airport security redouble the pressure on the pirates, that the loudspeakers warn travelers of their presence. ..
Also in order to appease the anger of the taxi drivers and stop their intense criticism of the Generalitat, this week the Minister of the Interior, Joan Ignasi Elena, detailed that at the beginning of the year the Mossos have inspected 588 vehicles in the surrounding area of the airport, and that 89 drivers have reported the result of these inspections. Apparently, most of these drivers were trying to work illegally with private vehicles. “We are convinced that there can be no labor intrusion”, insisted the councilor in statements to the ACN.
