Photo: IOL
In Barcelona and Madrid, striking taxi drivers have blocked major streets. Residents and visitors to these Spanish cities are being warned of public transportation disruptions, according to the CCMA portal.
More than one and a half thousand taxi cars and their drivers are still in On Monday, July 30, protesters flooded Barcelona's main thoroughfare, Passeig de Gràcia. By the next day, vehicles had completely taken over Gran Vía. Strikers were reportedly already stationed on nearby Diputació and Ronda de Sant Pere. Thus, the city center was completely blocked.
Barcelona residents are experiencing difficulties with public transportation, as buses are forced to reroute to avoid problematic areas. Local merchants have also become victims of the large-scale protest, closing their shops in the area. Residents and tourists alike have been unable to use one of Barcelona's most mobile forms of transportation – taxis – for several days. The strike is reported to last until at least the end of Wednesday. Local authorities note that the situation is negatively impacting commercial activity and tourism.
In Madrid, taxi drivers are also participating in a protest. The city's longest and widest street, Paseo de la Castellan, is blocked, allowing only one lane of traffic in each direction. Protests are also taking place in Málaga, Seville, Zaragoza, and Valencia. Taxi drivers are protesting against online taxi services Uber and Cabify. Drivers are demanding that the authorities issue 30 taxi licenses per permit for these online services.
Source: news.turizm.ru