WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from Italy
ITALIAN CABBIES GO ON STRIKE TO PROTEST POSSIBLE DEREGULATION
Cabbies across Italy went on strike on 21 May, to
protest the
possible dereg- ulation of the sector,
threat-
ening a 48-hour strike ahead of European parliamentary elections. Turnout for the strike was 100% in Rome and other major cities, including Milan and Naples. Police closed roads leading to the Prime Minister’s Office due to a demonstration by hundreds of taxi drivers in the capital. The strike action was taken following a call from unions. Drivers are protesting the possible deregulation of the sector and the granting of many new licences for the first time in decades. Following complaints from consumers over a chronic shortage of taxis and long queues of people at airports and train stations waiting for drivers, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso met weeks ago with executives from the US-based ride-hailing app Uber for talks on a solution, angering a powerful taxi driver lobby. Union representatives are expected to meet with government officials and said drivers are ready to go on strike again for 48 hours in the run-up to elections for the European Parliament from June 6-9 if no progress is made during the talks.
from Spain
BARCELONA CABBIES THREATEN TO BLOCK AIRPORT TO PROTEST APPS
Élite Taxi union has announced it will block Bar- celona’s airport and port if the Spanish transport ministry does not solve its conflict with ride-hailing services (VTC). The union is also demanding new regulations for VTCs before September 1. If those regulations are not ready, they will slowly march with
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their cabs around the airport to hinder access. Catalan govern- ment, spokes- person, Patrícia Plaja, said a law proposal is ready to be approved by the next government, which will make co-existence of taxis and VTCs possible. Plaja said that the proposal includes “most of the measures the taxi drivers are demanding.” “The government worked for months with all parties on a new law which would have been approved in June if it wasn’t for the early election call,” she added. Hundreds of taxi drivers organised a slow march through Barcelona on 28 May, to protest against VTCs. “Either they operate legally, or there will not be peace in Barcelona,” Tito Álvarez, spokesperson of Élite Taxi union, told Catalan News Agency. The union says if Cabify, Uber and Bolt want to operate in Catalonia, they should do it “within the rules that apply to everyone.” “They want a business model that we will not allow in Catalonia,” Álvarez said. The union has talked with representatives of Spain’s transport ministry and will have another meeting “at the highest level” with officials after the European elections on June 9 in Madrid.
from Ireland
INVESTIGATION AS TWO TAXIS SEEN WITH SAME ROOF LICENCE NUMBER
An investigation is under way after a taxi was seen with an alleged duplication of another taxi roof licence number sign. The National Trans- port Association (NTA) compliance team, along with gardai, promptly seized the alleged duplicate sign when the allegation was reported to them. An image circulated on social media showing the two taxis allegedly bearing the same taxi roof sign with the same licence number.
JUNE 2024 PHTM
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