Madrid taxi drivers ask the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso to implement some type of financial aid to acquire cameras and security services to avoid insecurity at the wheel. Of the 20,000 cars that circulate in the capital and its surrounding municipalities, about 900 are driven by women.
“In Barcelona the use of this type of cameras is not allowed, but in Madrid, yes,” says Julio Sanz, president of the Madrid Professional Taxi Federation in a telephone interview with La Vanguardia. In her opinion, “it is not just an issue of the safety of the colleagues, but it affects the entire sector, but “it is a more vulnerable group,” she highlights. Sanz believes that the aid “should reach the entire group to avoid discrimination.”
Furthermore, the president of the Professional Taxi Federation in Madrid recalls that the last case occurred in Barcelona. It was about a man masturbating in the taxi. This action “has reopened the debate on legal uncertainty while driving,” he says.
Sanz highlights that a team with a camera and hiring a private company to store the images in the cloud for possible incidents costs between 200 and 400 euros. “There are many models, from the most basic camera to more sophisticated ones, but the key is that the images can be viewed if any irregular behavior on the part of customers occurs.”
Sanz explains that there are no reports that support incidents that occur in taxi services, but the two most frequent events are “the client getting off without paying or stealing the box.” Hence, he continues, “we insist that our colleagues file complaints because with them, the police reinforce services in certain areas, such as stations, and also have a profile of the people who commit these types of infractions.” It is true, “that the sanctions in the criminal code are weak because it does not involve a lot of money, but it is necessary to report so that the incidents that occur in the taxi sector are known,” he says.
