TAXI drivers in Almeria City have warned they could cut services to a minimum in order to strike in protest against ‘ride hailing’ apps.
Drivers reportedly delivered a statement to the city’s council yesterday (Monday) which said they were considering joining walkouts that began in Barcelona and spread to other major Spanish cities.
Trade unions representing taxi drivers have said proposals to regulate ride hailing companies such as Uber and Cabify did not go far enough. Union representatives travelled to Madrid yesterday to meet with officials from the Ministry of Development.
Strikes began in Barcelona last week after the courts struck down measures supported by taxi drivers which limited the number of licenses handed out to riders from the companies.
Members of the Andalucian Federation of Autonomous Taxi Drivers (FAAT) met yesterday to discuss joining the strikes in other Spanish cities.
Miguel Ruano, the head of the union which represents about 9,000 self-employed drivers, said they would join the walkout today (Wednesday).
Drivers in Almeria met later to decide which services would be affected if a strike were to go ahead. They decided to maintain services which served the elderly, young children and the disabled.
Unions have said the strikes would last until at least Wednesday but could go on indefinitely. Spain’s Ministry of Development is due to meet with regional officials and powers to regulate ride hailing apps are reportedly set to be transferred to autonomous communities.
There are currently 284 licensed taxis in Almeria and a total of around 500 throughout the province
