WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from Spain
CABBIES ARRESTED FOR USING ‘MAFIA TACTICS’ AT SEVILLA AIRPORT
At least 16 taxi drivers operating out of Sevilla airport have been arrested by the Policia Nacional for running a ‘mafia-style’ cartel that fixed prices. They are also being probed for threatening and assaulting rival cabbies. The arrests took place across Sevilla province with all of the detainees belonging to the Sevilla Taxi Solidarity Association. The group members allegedly colluded on prices including a charge of up to €30 on a short journey between the airport and Sevilla city. They are accused of resorting to violence to prevent other drivers from operating at the airport. Crimes of coercion, threats, damage and membership of a criminal organisation are being investigated. The police operation was carried out for several months and more arrests are not ruled out. The Solidarity Association has monopolised taxi services at the airport for years causing conflicts. The police got involved after a series of complaints were filed by other taxi drivers, as well as by holders of VTC licences and other individuals .
5,000+ CABBIES BRING BARCELONA TO STANDSTILL IN GO-SLOW PROTEST
Over 5,000 taxi drivers joined a protest in Barcelona on Wednesday 29 January, which brought the city’s traffic to a standstill throughout the morning. Starting at 10am from the airport, taxis moved slowly along Barcelona’s two main ring roads, Ronda de Dalt and Ronda Litoral. The protesters aim was to “close them completely and fill them with taxis” which caused the city’s traffic to come to a halt throughout the morning. The demonstration concluded at 2 pm when drivers returned to the airport. The demonstration saw cabbies joining a nationwide strike across the whole of Spain to protest what they describe as the “abusive prices” of taxi insurance. Driver associations, Elite and Antaxi, have called on the government to intervene to stop the hike in premiums and to stop an alleged price fixing cartel among insurers.
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Many drivers have seen huge rises since 2022 with insurance costs doubling and some seeing payments rise from €1,000 to over €4,000 within just three years. Rafael Baena, president of Elite Taxi Andalucia, said: “We don’t understand the commerical strategy of insurers which is totally unfounded and will see many drivers quit.” Taxi associations have persuaded smaller political parties to file a motion in Congress calling on the government to intervene. The motion to be debated urges the government to “guarantee the taxi sector insurance policies with a competitive cost, adjusted and proportional to the coverage required for driver to work”.
from Ireland
IRISH CABBIES FRUSTRATED AS WAV GRANT APPLICATIONS CLOSE IN MINS
The National Transport Authority (NTA) is facing criticism after the first round of its Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Grant Scheme for taxi drivers closed within just 15 minutes of opening. Under rules introduced in 2010, new vehicle licences are currently only available for WAV taxis, which now make up 23% of the entire fleet in Ireland. The scheme, which offers up to €15,000 towards the purchase of WAVs, saw an overwhelming response, with around 2,000 applications received before the system was closed on 6 January. This prompted Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín to call for an immediate review of the NTA’s technical systems. “For all the grants to be allocated in just fifteen minutes is crazy,” Tóibín said. “This means the current grant is incredibly limited and difficult to secure, currently only available to a tiny cohort of applicants.” Many drivers now face a six-month wait until the next application round in July, with no guarantee of success. The NTA acknowledged a “large number of applicants” over-whelmed the system, leading to a temporary slowdown. Taxi app FreeNow has called for an expansion of the scheme to help more taxi drivers buy or convert WAVs and continue to improve accessibility. General Manager of Uber Ireland Kieran Harte said the requirement to buy a WAV is acting as a barrier for people who want to enter the industry.
FEBRUARY 2025 PHTM
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