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Spain: Taxis block central Madrid in Uber protest

By  |  February 18, 2016

More than a thousand Spanish taxi drivers blocked a central Madrid boulevard on Thursday, beeping horns and setting off firecrackers, to protest plans to open the country to greater competition from ride-hailing and car-sharing
services.

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    Uber and other companies such as Cabify face demonstrations from taxi drivers worldwide for operating services which match private vehicle owners with customers.

    Uber cannot currently operate in Spain while authorities decide their legal status, though other collaborative economy services, such as accommodation company Airbnb, are operating.

    Spain’s regulatory agency CNMC is expected to publish a non-binding recommendation next week which will call for greater freedom for the collaborative economy.

    “Who are the CNMC defending? We are a public service and we’re independent while they’re defending multi-nationals,” said taxi driver Marta Fernandez, 42, during the protest which shut off traffic for at least two hours.

    Full content: Voice of America

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