WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from Spain
CABBIES GRIDLOCK BARCELONA IN PROTEST AGAINST UBER AND CABIFY
Around 1,500 taxis blocked the central lanes of Barcelona’s Gran Vía on Monday 8 December, in a major protest about proposed new taxi law, demanding the Catalan government speed up its approval of the new law without weakening its provisions against ride- hailing services (VTCs) such as Uber and Cabify. The demonstration and subsequent strike, which organisers claimed had an “attendance of around 80%” across Catalonia, aims to ensure the draft legislation, which would drastically reduce VTC licences from 900 to around 300, is passed in its current strict form. Tito Álvarez, spokesperson of the Élite Taxi union, warned that drivers “will not stop until the law that we have agreed upon with most political parties is approved.” Álvarez threatened an “indefinite strike” if the law’s approval is delayed or its provisions are diluted. The union has also filed a complaint with the Catalan Competition Authority (ACCO) against Uber and other VTC companies for “acting like a cartel.” Taxi drivers from across the region joined the protest, with Albert, president of Radio Taxi Sabadell, stating: “We’ve come to support Barcelona because we’re at the final stages before the taxi law is passed, and we’re here to put a bit of pressure.” He criticised VTC operations, noting they “change licence plates, solicit passengers on the street, which they aren’t allowed to do, they should return to the base.” Drivers highlighted the disparity in investment and regulation. Joan, a driver from Figueres, explained: “When I was 21, I bought a taxi for €120,000. Now these people come along and don’t pay anything apart from the car, and their companies don’t pay taxes here in Spain.” Joan also stressed the reliability of regulated services, recalling the 2017 Barcelona attacks: “Taxi drivers took people for free. Meanwhile, Uber and the other platforms tripled their prices, and for a €10 ride they were charging maybe €80.”
66
In response, Catalan Minister of Territory and Mobility, Sílvia Paneque, said the government intends to approve the law “as soon as possible,” with effects expected in the “first half of 2026.” The ride-hailing association Unauto, criticised the action, with president José Manuel Berzal claiming Barcelona was being “kidnapped by a minority” and demanding the government halt the new regulation, warning of a potential “€72 million impact” on the sector. Meanwhile, Uber announced it would pay €1,500 to finance the insurance of each taxi driver who joins its platform until March 31, and filed a complaint against Élite Taxi for allegedly attempting to “boycott” its services during the strike. In a statement, the company criticised Élite Taxi for preventing drivers from using the platform, which it says violates competition law.
from USA
TAXI TANGLE SUV CAB GETS ‘WEDGED’ ON CON EDISON UTILITY STRUCTURE
A bizarre accident caused an un- usual sight in Times Square on the night of 4 December, when an SUV taxi somehow
got
stuck over a Con Edison structure. The incident occurred just after 7pm along West 42nd Street and Broadway. Police reported that the taxi driver “drove over a metal grate with a manhole underneath, and got wedged on a piece of metal.” One witness noted that “one of the back tyres was almost completely in the hole.” Officials stated that debris struck the vehicle and caused a spark, but FDNY, Con Edison, and NYPD investigators on the scene determined that “this was not an explosion.” Con Edison said a tow truck was called to remove the cab “stuck on one of their structures.” Fortunately, there were “no reported injuries,” and no customer outages resulted from the incident.
JANUARY 2026 PHTM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
