Cab drivers in Barcelona are ready to carry out an impressive mobilization in the city on September 5, 2023.
This mobilization represents a response to a penalty of 123,000 euros imposed by the Autoritat Catalana de la Competència (ACCO) on the entity Élite Taxi for actions related to Uber and other mobility platforms.
The sanction has generated controversy and discontent among cab drivers, who have described Uber as “the real mafioso”. The representative of Élite Taxi, Alberto Álvarez, anticipated that this mobilization will be one of the largest ever seen in Barcelona.
Although initially it had been threatened to blockade the city, it has finally opted for a demonstration that will run from 9 am to 2 pm, with a mass concentration of cabs in the Venetian towers of Plaza Espanya from 9 am.
Barcelona cab drivers announce large mobilization
The protest will continue with a slow march of cabs along Gran Via, Balmes street and up to Via Laietana. This mobilization will significantly affect traffic in the city center, so residents and visitors are advised to use the subway as an alternative means of transportation during this period.
The sanction imposed by ACCO has generated a strong response from Élite Taxi and other cab drivers, who consider that the sanctions are unfair and that the sanction to their entity was disproportionate.
In addition to denouncing the fine, the cab drivers also plan to use this mobilization to express their dissatisfaction with what they consider an attempt at censorship and repression by the Catalan Incompetence Authority, in Álvarez’s words.
The Élite Taxi collective has been actively working to defend their rights and fight against what they consider unfair competition from Uber and other mobility platforms.
The mobilization on September 5 not only seeks to denounce the sanction, but also to demand greater regulation and restrictions for for-hire vehicle for hire (VTC) companies, such as Uber.
Day of protests
In the course of the mobilization, the cab drivers plan to hold a protest in front of the ACCO headquarters to express their discontent and denounce what they consider an attempt to silence their voice.
In addition, Alvarez mentioned that there are “indications” of possible “influence peddling” in the ACCO, which has led cab drivers to request a commission of inquiry in Parliament to clarify any irregularities.
The meeting between representatives of Élite Taxi and the Consellera de Territori, Ester Capella, in which the concerns of the collective were discussed, marked an important step in the search for solutions to the problems faced by the cab industry in Barcelona.
