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The taxi situation is already far from ideal in Alicante and other tourist areas but things are gong to get a whole lot worse with news that cab drivers throughout the Valencian Community have called a 24-hour strike on Wednesday February 25.

 

The stoppage will run from 6am on Wednesday right through until 6am on Thursday.

 

Taxi associations say the sector has been waiting months for new regulations that would restore the balance between taxis and VTCs (ride-hail services like Uber and Cabify).

 

According to the drivers, the recent ruling by the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV), although not yet final, could lead to the complete liberalisation of ride-hailing services.

 

“This situation jeopardises the stability of more than 7,000 families throughout the Valencian Community,” they stated in a press release.

 

They add that the lack of a clear regulatory framework has increased tension between taxi drivers and private transportation platforms.

 

Minister of Environment, Infrastructure, Territory and Recovery, Vicente Martínez Mus, confirmed this week that the regional government is working on a decree to protect cab drivers and guarantee the viability of taxis as an essential public service.

 

“We are close to approving a legal framework that will ensure the stability of the sector and maintain a balance with the new transport services,” the Minister stated.

 

However, the associations emphasise that a final text and specific dates for its implementation are still unknown.

 

“We’ve been hearing promises for years and still have no certainty about how the necessary measures will be applied,” they state, while insisting that until there is progress, many taxi drivers feel their jobs and income “are at risk.”

 

Taxi drivers have organised a demonstration at the Palau de la Generalitat on the 25th, where they will present their demands and call for legal guarantees.

 

Image: Freepik