Miquel Àngel Ramis has been elected president of the employers’ association of the Balearic Transport Vehicles with Driver (VTC) in the last extraordinary assembly held in Palma. In conversation with La Voz de Ibiza, Ramis made a critical analysis of the situation of cabs and VTC in the region and raised his doubts about the study being carried out by the Govern to determine how many licenses are needed. “With all the licenses that have been granted via the courts in the last three years, I think the situation has to be accommodated. We have to wait for the administration to bring out the rule to see on what criteria it is based to decide to give more licenses or deny them,” he explained. “It is impossible to know how many are needed. In Ibiza, work is very seasonal, during some months there is a lack of cars and during other months there is a surplus of cars. I think the temporary license would be the best tool, because it allows at a given time to meet the demand without oversizing the sector,” analyzed Ramis. “In any case, we will be there to see what the legislation determines,” he added.
A precarious study to define the future of the cab industry
When asked about the survey elaborated by the company AIE Multicriteri-MCRIT, responsible for the study that will define how many passenger transport vehicles are needed on the island, Ramis said: “The survey was carried out by the company AIE Multicriteri-MCRIT. They asked us for information at the company level and I gave it. They told me that they would have the results by the end of the year, but I have not heard anything about it yet. I believe it will contribute something.
However, when asked what expectations he has about the results of the study, which has a budget of 48,400 euros awarded last June, the president of the Balearic VTC employers’ association has asserted: “In addition to these data, they should listen to the sector. Based on a study of course it helps, but it is a colder and more technical view of the situation. Dialogue is required. The survey is necessary, but it is not enough”. As La Voz de Ibiza reported last month, this study has sparked criticism and questioning from stakeholders in the sector. Joan Marí Riera, board member of the Agrupación de Autotaxis de las Islas Baleares, integrated in CAEB, and representative in Ibiza of the Federación Empresarial Balear de Transporte, said: “This survey does not make sense because they want to approve a seasonal licensing plan for next year, without waiting to have the conclusions of this study. Then it makes no sense”.
Intrusiveness and illegality
The new head of the VTC employers’ association in the Balearic Islands has also referred to pirate cabs, intrusiveness and illegality that affect the reputation of the sector. “It is difficult to eradicate this issue, because they have to find the intruder at the time of the act. Companies that are legal are easy to inspect, but one that is not listed anywhere cannot be traced”. He added: “Where do illegal cabs load? At the airport and in the discotheques. They should put more control resources there, more people to inspect”.
The board of directors of the Balearic Rental Car with Driver Business Association is also integrated by Isaac Álvarez, Antonio Cortés, Maria dels Àngels Roig, Antonio Juan Marqués, Gabriel Pons, José María Camps and Francisca Capó.
