Spain: Indefinite nationwide taxi strikes launched July 29 /update 3

Event

Taxi drivers nationwide launched an indefinite strike on Sunday, July 29, that continues as of July 30. The worst hit areas are Barcelona and Madrid, with protests also being reported in the main cities of the Andalusia (e.g. Málaga, Seville), Basque, Valencia (e.g. Alicante) Aragón, Galicia, Cantabria, Navarre, Baleares, and La Rioja regions. Reduced taxi availability and increased demand for other forms of transportation (bus, metro, other car services) are to be anticipated.

Associated demonstrations are also to be anticipated, including roadblocks and “go slow” convoys intended to create traffic disruptions. So far the protests have been concentrated around transportation hubs such as airports, train stations, and cruise ship ports, as well as the French border and major city avenues.

Context

The strikes are being held to demand legislation to limit operations by car-hire services (VTCs) such as Uber. An associated taxi strike was held in Barcelona July 25-26, during which time Uber and Cabify suspended their services following reported attacks targeting VTC vehicles.

Advice

Individuals in Spain are advised to allow for extra time to reach their destinations and avoid all protests as a precaution.