Cab drivers from Ibiza and Formentera will join the national strike called by the National Taxi Association (ANTAXI) this Wednesday, January 29th in protest against the increase in the cost of insurance policies, which in their opinion is excessive and unjustified.
The measure of force will be extended from 11 am to 2 pm, with a mobilization for that time in Madrid. In Ibiza and Formentera the strike will be observed -without demonstration- by the Insular Federation of Taxis of Ibiza and Formentera (FITIE), and in the Balearic Islands will join the Independent Taxi Federation of the Balearic Islands (FITIB), as La Voz de Ibiza has advanced a few days ago. From the Association of Self-Employed Taxi Drivers of Ibiza also confirmed their adhesion to the strike “against abusive premiums of insurers and / or refusal to hire.” “It is voluntary, of course, but I hope that everyone abides by the strike,” said its president, Mariano Torres. Meanwhile, Julián Povedano, head of the cab drivers’ association El Arca, declared that “75% of our members will comply and the rest will work to cover the minimum services”.
How will cabs work in Ibiza and Formentera?
With this scenario, the municipalities will guarantee a minimum service between 11 am and 2 pm, although in general they estimate that the impact of the measure of force will be reduced. In Vila, City Council sources have reported that “the cab service will be provided as normally as possible and we respect the right to strike of professionals”. In Santa Eulària it is expected that “transfers for medical, air or port services will go normally”.“No major problems are expected beyond a few more minutes of waiting in some cases,” they said. Sant Antoni and Sant Joan will also guarantee a minimum cab service during this period. Meanwhile, from Sant Josep explained that “no incidents are expected” in the municipality. Finally, the Consell de Formentera has not specified in recent hours how the measure will impact the island, although days ago had indicated that “if they want to exercise their right, we will decree minimum services”.
The reasons for the cab drivers’ strike
In an official communiqué prior to the strike on Wednesday, ANTAXI has stated that “it is essential to limit the increases in insurance policies” and requested “the competent authorities to establish a maximum limit to the increases in insurance policies for cabs, a limit that cannot exceed the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI)”. In turn, ANTAXI demands that the cab be excluded from the general accident rate calculation for urban transport services, arguing that “we should not pay for risks that are not our fault, such as those derived from certain urban transport services, such as VTCs, which have 2.5 more accidents than cabs”. In addition, the sector is calling for greater transparency on the part of insurers. Currently, cab drivers face premium increases that are not always justified and lack a clear breakdown of the factors that generate them. Another focus of the protest is the difficulty in accessing the Insurance Compensation Consortium (CCS), as insurers impose unacceptable prices without formal rejections. Finally, the cab drivers are calling for an exhaustive annual supervision of the premiums applied to the sector by the Directorate General of Insurance. This measure would serve to “guarantee fair prices, in addition to avoiding discriminatory practices that could jeopardize the sustainability of the service”.
