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Spain: EU report on ride-sharing services slams Spanish regulation

By  |  June 5, 2017

Uber, Cabify and similar platforms offering for-hire vehicles (VTC) operating in Spain received a significant boost from the European Commission (EC) last week. In a report entitled ‘Transport of passengers by taxi, rental vehicles with drivers and vehicles in the EU’, the EC concludes that the obstacles to the proper regulation of this form of transport affects prices and quality of service, with Spain being one of the countries that have the most barriers set up.

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    “Some Member States such as Spain have introduced quotas, geographical restrictions or a minimum of obligations. The main objective of these restrictions seems to be to reduce face-to-face competitive pressure with taxis and / or to create two different market segments, focusing on different types of users, “the report states

    The Commission’s report comes at a time when the conflict between taxi drivers and car-sharing services has exploded in Spain. Last Tuesday, thousands of taxi drivers demonstrated in the streets of Madrid. For its part, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) has produced several reports in which it has spoken in favor of completely liberalizing the sector in order to break what it considers a near-monopoly currently held by Taxi companies.

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