There are less than two weeks left until January 29th. On that day cab drivers from Ibiza, Formentera and the whole country will stop providing service for three hours and will mobilize against the increase in the price of insurance policies, which, they claim, threatens the sector.
In addition to the strike between 11 am and 2 pm that day, the National Taxi Association (ANTAXI) has called a demonstration for the same time in Madrid. The cab mobilization will start from the Ministry of Transport (Paseo de la Castellana, 67) and will end at the Ministry of Economy (Paseo de la Castellana 162). A measure supported by the Insular Federation of Taxis of Ibiza and Formentera (FITIE). In this framework some of the municipalities of the Pitiusas have assured La Voz de Ibiza that they plan to decree minimum services in the event that the adhesion of cab drivers to the strike is high. Although these will be issues to be resolved closer to the date.
Motives
“The abusive practices of insurers, with policies that reach up to 7,000 euros per year, endanger this service of public interest in which many professionals are unable to cope with this high cost,” ANTAXI has argued at the time of calling the demonstration. Its objective is to “demand from insurers and administrations a solution that allows cab professionals to have access to affordable and fair policies”. The sector has emphasized that “requests a greater involvement of public administrations to ensure the stability of the activity and the protection of cab professionals against abusive practices, as well as the regional and local administrationsthat control the cab, whose intervention is key to comply with regulatory issues that allow the vehicle to present in perfect condition. In addition, ANTAXI calls on the Ministries of Economy and Transport to offer more complete products through the Insurance Compensation Consortium. They have also denounced that many insurance companies do not want to offer their services to cabs, which is detrimental to the functioning of the free market. In this line, they have pointed out that the most at risk are rural cabs and cabs adapted for people with reduced mobility. On the other hand, the cab drivers demand “transparency to the insurance companies, since they reveal an increase in the accident rate that does not coincide with the data handled by the group”. For this reason, they have requested that cabs be included in an exclusive list, “to avoid their possible inclusion in other modes of transport which, in this way, would be influencing the premiums paid”.
Adhesions
Groups of cab drivers from both the Balearic Islands and the Pitiusas Islands support the strike and mobilization called by ANTAXI. “FITIE supports and subscribes to the existing problems at the national level; in addition to informing the administrations involved and the owners and entrepreneurs,” he told La Voz de Ibiza. Toni RoigToni Roig, president of the FITIE, who foresees a greater compliance in Ibiza than in the smallest of the islands. “Although everyone is master of his actions,” he clarifies, “we see no reason to disassociate themselves or want to go on their own. It’s three hours and we understand that the reasons and the cause is worth it”. Another of the groups of the autonomous community that will adhere to the strike will be the Independent Taxi Federation of the Balearic Islands, as expressed by its president Gabriel Moragues to La Voz de Ibiza.
What will happen in Ibiza and Formentera
Despite these adhesions, from the different municipalities remain skeptical about the impact that the measure of force will have in Ibiza and Formentera, according to the survey made by La Voz de Ibiza.
- From the City Council of SantaEulària consider that “the strike will have little impact on the municipality and also are dates of very low occupancy of the cab. In any case, they guaranteed that there will be minimum services for those hours and that “priority will be given to the elderly and medical issues”.
- In Sant Joan, the City Council has also guaranteed minimum services.
- In Sant Antoni they do not plan to provide minimum services yet, although they do not rule out organizing it closer to the date.
- In Vila, they only said they were aware of the upcoming strike, although they did not specify whether they would guarantee minimum services from the municipality.
- Nor did the Sant Josep Town Hall give any details.
- From the Consell de Formentera also believe that cab drivers will not strike. But they have clarified: “In the event that they want to exercise their right, we will decree minimum services”.
