Taxi strike threatens tourism showcase
Cabbies block main access to Fitur tourism fair in Madrid - a huge blow to the event that hundreds of Costa towns and companies rely on to attract customers every year
TAXI drivers on strike in Madrid are jeopardising business for the Costa Blanca tourism sector, complain local delegates to Fitur tourism fair.
Cabbies in Madrid are on strike 'indefinitely' due to their battle against VTC (car and driver hire) companies such as Uber and Cabify.
Hundreds of drivers have joined protests through the streets of both cities since Monday and confrontations with VTC drivers and damages to vehicles have been widely reported.
On Wednesday, Madrid taxi union leaders called upon all drivers to gather in protest outside IFEMA exhibition hall. The target was obvious when a protest leader, speaker in hand and broadcast live on TV told fellow drivers: "If we have no agreement from the regional government, not even God's getting into Fitur".
Trying to make good on their threats, taxi drivers barricaded the main access roads and parking area (south entrance to IFEMA). Tyres and urban furnishing were set ablaze by protestors.
However, the impact of the strike on Fitur goes far beyond the exhibition centre itself.
Fitur's first three days are dedicated exclusively to professionals, and thousands arrive in Madrid from Barajas airport and Atocha AVE station. On Wednesday, they were unable to get a taxi, private hire cars were being stopped by pickets and public transport services (buses and metro) were hardly able to cope with extra influx despite additional vehicles and trains being purposely deployed.
Pickets also blocked one of the exits to the Feria Madrid metro station (one of the few alternatives left for commuters to reach IFEMA) and forced Metro Madrid to close it to avoid damage.
Even King Felipe and Queen Letizia had problems getting to Fitur for the official opening ceremony on Wednesday.
They had to use one of the side doors to enter IFEMA and finally do the honours, but the damage to Spain's public image will be significant fear tourism experts.
Representatives of a South American delegation to Fitur told reporters: "The entrance to Fitur is chaotic. We can't understand how a country that welcomes over 80million tourists every year allows this to happen. We knew nothing about it."
This was the case of the majority of those attending the fair on Wednesday. Mainly because although they were aware of the industrial action, the 'siege' of IFEMA by taxi drivers was only announced the previous afternoon, when many were already in transit.
Delegates went on to say: "Spain's image is damaged by this situation; this is one of the most important fairs in the world"
Hundreds of foreign channel TV crews were outside the exhibition hall reporting on the incidents.
Around 100 riot squad police officers had to be deployed at the entrance to IFEMA to allow delegates to walk in without being harassed by protestors but this did not avoid one person being arrested and 11 injured.
Fitur was expecting to welcome over 250,000 visitors until Sunday and have an economic impact on the city of around €325million. However, hard action taken by taxi drivers is expect to see those figures fall significantly.
Road cuts and injuries
The protests in Madrid have already cause serious problems and even injuries.
On Tuesday, a taxi driver who was attempting, alongside others, to block traffic along the A-2 highway out of Madrid, jumped on a VTC (private car and driver vehicle) bonnet and was eventually hit by the vehicle and has required emergency treatment and remains in an intensive care unit.
Passengers at airports and railway stations in both cities have not only suffered the lack of service, but also picketing at the parking bays.
On Monday Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera was shouted at as he arrived at Atocha railway station on the AVE from Barcelona and some TV camera crews have been attacked by protestors claiming they broadcast 'fake news'.
Passing on the hot potato
Taxi drivers are protesting over the granting of too many VTC (car-anddriver hire) licences and specifically platforms supporting them such as Uber and Cabify.
Last summer, the government defused similar protests by passing on the hot potato to regional governments and town halls. It was decreed that each region must set the rules on how many licences were allowed and in which conditions the drivers could operate.
Regional governments have been slow to react and others have come up with legislation that taxi drivers consider do not meet their demands.
While in Madrid the mayoress Manuela Carmena says she supports taxi drivers demands, regional president Angel Garrido insist he will not give into taxi drivers' 'blackmail'.
The main victims however are the customers and residents in areas where roads are blocked and loud, and at times violent, protests take place. One Madrid city centre resident said: "They may be right in what they are demanding, but they are going the wrong way about getting it."
Barcelona cabbies call off strike
In Barcelona, taxi drivers called off their strike yesterday morning (Thursday).
The regional government had drawnup legislation limiting the use of VTCs -which would only be allowed to pick up passengers who have booked a service at least 15 minutes earlier, or, in the case of Barcelona metropolitan area, an hour in advance.
Uber and Cabify have already considered these conditions unacceptable and have said they will pull out of Barcelona if they become law - potentially threatening 4,000 jobs.
Taxi drivers still consider these restrictions to be 'too lenient’, but voted on Wednesday to discontinue their industrial action.