Taxi drivers stage strike and protests in Madrid

A Spanish taxi driver taking part in demonstrations about unfair competition posed rival firms, Uber and Cabify, holds a smoke canister aloft.

About 20,000 people took to the streets of Madrid, while taxi drivers staged a 24-hour strike.

The dispute has been fuelled by a recent Supreme Court ruling granting 80 new licenses for private drivers employed by taxi app services, a decision which has angered unions in Spain. Existing taxi firms in the country have asked the government to implement a fixed quota of one licensed vehicle from companies like Uber for every 30 taxis. In an attempt to reach a resolution, Uber and Cabify have said they will not collect passengers in some areas of Spain.