MADRID, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The strike of Spanish taxi drivers against ride-hailing companies like Uber and Cabify continues, affecting thousands of passengers and tourists, local media reported on Monday.
Striking drivers parked their cars in the middle of main roads in Madrid and Barcelona, asserting the ride-hailing services have threatened their livelihood.
The strike started in Barcelona on Wednesday, after the Spanish government appealed against an ordinance by the Barcelona government which limited the number of licenses for taxi services booked by APPs. It was soon extended to Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia and Seville and turned violent as some strikers surrounded and kicked Uber and Cabify cars.
"They have the right to strike and demand what they feel to be their rights, but without getting violent against us," an Uber driver Abdel Ghani told local newspaper El Pais, claiming his car was attacked with eggs in Madrid on Friday night.
Pedro Saura, Spanish state secretary for infrastructure, transportation and housing, had a meeting with taxi unions which asked for a law which requires only one ride-hailing license for every 30 taxi licenses.
The four-hour meeting failed to reach an agreement as the government plans to transfer powers over licensing to local governments. This offer was rejected by taxi unions, arguing that will simply pass the problem to regions instead of solving it.
Saura plans to meet representatives from ride-hailing associations on Tuesday.
"Tomorrow we are going to ask the government not to yield to the blackmail because we cannot renounce competition, because competition is good. And because blackmail is not good," said Eduardo Martin, president of Unauto, the association representing ride-hailing companies.
The strike has also become a political issue, as Jose Alberto Herrero, a national deputy for the conservative Popular Party, accused the government of "yielding to separatists' blackmail" and "has given up on defending state powers against the radical administration" of Barcelona authorities.
