The bill, promoted by various political parties such as the PSC, Junts, ERC, the Comuns, and the CUP, foresees the gradual elimination of VTCs in Barcelona as existing licenses expire. This measure has generated a deep division, with the taxi sector defending the regulation and VTCs warning of their disappearance.
“"We are talking about 6,000 families dedicated to this sector who would be left without work."
“"Stop the mantra that we want to kick you out. This law does not expel VTCs, it organizes them."
The employers' association Unauto VTC considers the legislative proposal illegal, arguing that it favors a taxi monopoly, according to a study commissioned from the University of Barcelona. Pablo Álvarez-Pire, from Cabify, has urged joint negotiation to establish a fair law and has warned of possible legal challenges if an agreement is not reached.
VTCs defend their necessity in Barcelona, stating that they cover a transport demand that taxis cannot meet and that citizens have already opted for their services. In contrast, Antoni Servós, from the Sindicat del Taxi de Catalunya, believes that taxi licenses in Spain are oversized and that the 10,500 taxis in Barcelona are sufficient to cover citizens' needs, provided that mobility in the city is "ordered".
