Barcelona’s taxi drivers to maintain strike action

Barcelona’s taxi drivers decided yesterday to continue industrial action indefinitely until Spain’s development minister, José Luis Ábalos, proposes reducing the number of VTC licences (car rental with a driver) for every taxi.

Given the problems caused by the strike, the Catalan government yesterday decided to boost the metro line to Barcelona airport and announced a meeting with the sector on Tuesday.

Moreover, according to sources in the presidency department, the issue will be brought up in the bilateral summit between the Spanish and Catalan governments due to take place on Wednesday, with the Catalan authorities expected to demand a transfer of powers over the VTC sector, which is currently an exclusive power of the Spanish executive.

The industrial action, which included hundreds of taxis on Barcelona’s Gran Via, brought traffic in the Catalan capital to a standstill, with no taxi services at all to and from the airport.

Catalan president, Quim Torra, yesterday called on taxi drivers to show “safety and responsibility” as long as the strike lasts. At the same time, the government spokeswoman, Elsa Artadi, and interior minister, Miquel Buch, met with police commanders to analyse the consequences of the strike for the city.