Cab drivers outburst against the Govern’s new draft: they denounce “legal uncertainty” and unfair competition

Tension in the Balearic transport sector has intensified after the publication of the fifth draft of the draft decree regulating cab and VTC services on the islands. Representatives of the sector, led by Joan Marí Riera and the Agrupación Empresarial de Auto-Taxi de Baleares, have presented a tough written allegations to the Directorate General of Mobility, warning that the current regulation is a “total nonsense” that puts at risk the stability of the public service.

The point of greatest friction lies in the Govern’s decision to jointly regulate cabs and the leasing of vehicles with driver (VTC). The professionals demand that the articles be separated, arguing that cabs are a service of public interest, while VTCs operate under free private initiative. According to sources, this confusion is not only technically incorrect, but also facilitates future legal challenges that could paralyze the entire sector.

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Vehicle restrictions and commercial favoritism

In the brief, cab drivers question the limitation of the technical characteristics of vehicles. The sector rejects the prohibition of hybrid cars of less than 4.60 meters (previously 4.35 meters in other drafts), a measure that leaves out of the market efficient models of brands such as Kia, Dacia, Hyundai or Peugeot. In the opinion of the collective, this decision seems to be “tailor-made” to favor specific brands, such as Toyota, which would distort market unity.

Retirement and labor rights: “age discrimination”.

The Agrupación de Auto-Taxi has also raised a hue and cry over the measures affecting veteran professionals. The draft proposes the automatic loss of the cab driver’s license upon retirement and the obligation to transfer the license within a maximum period of three months after retirement. Cab drivers call these measures “age discriminatory” and lacking in objective justification, recalling that retirement is reversible and should be compatible with the maintenance of professional activity in certain terms.

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Uncertainty in licenses and imposed technology

The allegations document highlights a profound lack of clarity as to whether the aforementioned authorizations are national, regional or insular in scope. In addition, cab drivers oppose the mandatory use of a public technological application for those who already work with private systems or transmitters, claiming that this generates road safety risks due to distractions and represents unfair competition from the administration.

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Among other issues, the allegations also warn about:

• Double contribution: It is required to regulate the impossibility for salaried drivers to contribute simultaneously to the general regime and to the self-employed regime for the same activity.
• Onerous transfers: They request a clear regulation of license transfers to avoid “disguised concessions”.
• Local identity: The imposition of the black color for the rear license numbers is rejected, defending the current blue color in municipalities such as Ibiza in order to respect local competences.

Continue reading:

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