The Cabify application asks the Catalan administrations to allow all rental cars with drivers in the country to work in Barcelona in order to increase the city’s mobility offer and alleviate the queues that occur at so many taxi ranks. The Spanish multinational raises this possibility at least until the Generalitat approves the new taxi law, a new rule that the Government was processing until the electoral advance occurred.
Cabify also asks administrations to eliminate mandatory breaks for taxi drivers and drivers who operate with VTC permits. The Spanish multinational put these issues on the table by planting dozens of violet suitcases this Wednesday in front of the Sants railway station, at the point where travelers usually wait for the arrival of a taxi. The Cabify protest unleashed unrest among many taxi drivers. In truth, the taxi war does not give even a moment of respite. Shortly thereafter, Alberto Álvarez, alias Tito, founder and spokesperson of Élite Taxi, the main group of the sector in the metropolitan area, announced that these days the drivers will decide whether to start a new protest campaign.
“I understand that if the Generalitat does not regulate more severely the operation of applications that offer mobility services, if the new taxi law does not contemplate that these applications truly work with mobility service mediators and not as simple software, Just as he had promised us, taxi drivers must mobilize again… but the final decision will be made in an assembly.” Furthermore, Álvarez added, a good part of the VTC-licensed cars that work in Barcelona with the Cabify application do so without the corresponding double license processed by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). “How is it possible that these applications facilitate the work of cars that are operating without complying with the rules?”
Meanwhile, those at Cabify insist that the lack of taxis and restrictions on rental cars with drivers are taking Barcelona to an extreme situation that will become evident in the coming weeks due to the growing arrival of tourists and the celebration of major events such as the Primavera Sound, the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix and the America’s Cup.
“When requests for events, flight, train or cruise arrivals skyrocket – company sources added – Cabify cannot service half of its requests. On average, this year, the company is not being able to cover 30% of travel requests in Barcelona. This poses serious problems for citizens. This is why queues are so common in Sants and the airport. “The waits to access a discretionary transport alternative in Barcelona are 20% longer than in other cities in Spain.”