professional association Elite Taxi hopes that the mobilization of taxi drivers called for on September 5 in Barcelona be “one of the largest ever seen” in the city. The representative of the entity has said it, Tito Alvarezafter the meeting that he held this Wednesday afternoon with the ‘councillor’ of Territory, Esther Capellain the first meeting of both since she assumed the portfolio in the Government.
Tuesday’s mobilization, for which Álvarez hopes “Thousands” of taxis, will denounce the penalty of 123,000 euros that the Catalan Competition Authority (ACCO) has imposed on the entity for making boycott Uber and other VTC platforms. “Uber is the real mafioso,” said Álvarez, who predicted that on Tuesday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the taxi drivers “will collapse the center of Barcelona“in a slow march that will end in the Parliament, where the taxi drivers will ask the commission of an investigation to clarify if there has been”influence peddling“in ACCO.
Álvarez has left the meeting with Capella satisfied and has celebrated that the taxi model that the Department draws “is very similar” to the one that the collective defends. Thus, both parties agree that it is necessary to “strengthen a public service of general interest” and also toughen internal sanctions to avoid malpractice to sector.
The representative of Elite Taxi has also highlighted the good harmony with the Department and with its general director, Oriol Martorialso present at the meeting this Wednesday together with the Secretary of Transport, Marc Sanglas. The conversations that the entity has held with Martori during the month of August have helped the taxi drivers to decide “relax” the mobilizations. Some conversations in which the Government has shown a “very good” attitude and that have convinced Elite Taxi that both will be able to work to make “structural improvements in the sector, which are what it needs”.
Protest and possible “irregularity” in the ACCO
However, in parallel Álvarez has also announced that Tuesday’s mobilization will go ahead “yes or yes”a protest for which “thousands” of taxis will gather from nine in the morning on the venetian towers and that from 9:45 a.m. they will travel in slow march along the Gran Via, along Balmes street and up to Via Laietana. Álvarez has predicted that the mobilization will last until two in the afternoon.
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Once in Via Laietana, the taxi drivers plan to make a protest in front of the ACCO headquarters for the fine imposed at the end of July on Elite Taxi for boycotting Uber and other mobility platforms. “Uber is the head of ACCO, he is the one who is pulling his strings. He is the real mafioso,” denounced Álvarez, who predicted that the mobilization on Tuesday will be “massive” and will also serve to denounce “that they will not censor us, that they will not silence us and that the Catalan Incompetence Authority acts like the Gestapo”.
In the same way, Álvarez has assured that the group has “indications” that there may have been “influence peddling” in the ACCO, and that is why he explained that the mobilization on Tuesday will end up in Parliament where the taxi drivers will ask the parliamentary groups to promote a commission of inquiry to find out if there have been any irregularity.