The publication date for the final text of the decree that wants to regulate Uber, Cabify and Bolt, as well as VTC cars in Barcelona, ​​is set for tomorrow, Friday. A text that is already controversial and a new line in the historic battle between taxi platforms and mobility technologies. By all accounts, this is the most restrictive for these companies. According to Tito Alvarez, spokesman for the Barcelona Taxi Collective at a press conference, the text “is the son of a taxi and a work of art.”

Pending review of the document in its entirety, taxi organizations took advantage of Wednesday’s approval of the decree to review all the measures that will come into effect. “These measures will protect the taxi sector for the next 4 years and restore order”Alvarez points to the media. And at that moment, he sends a message to Cabify, the company that has been operating in Barcelona the longest since the reform of the sector: “Thanks to this company and its non-compliance, the toughest sanctions regime in the sector was born.” And this is not an exaggeration. The new decree certainly points to the most restrictive points for work in the region.

It was already possible to find out the limit on the number of licenses. Of the nearly 4,000 managed by the city of Barcelona, 70% deserted with the new reform. The most controversial point of the text was also known: the size of vehicles that can operate under VTC licenses. With a minimum measurement of 4.90 meters, only 1% of registered vehicles – in general, not just for VTC activities – meet this requirement. This is a move to put an end to Uber, Cabify and Bolt.

However, they are not the only ones. Elite Taxi under the voice of Alvarez destroyed all measures. Some of these together rule out any possibility of mobility in the tech ecosystem over the next 4 years.

Some of the measures that everywhere you look are kicking Uber, Bolt and Cabify out of Barcelona

This is not all that Barcelona’s taxi sector would like. “This is not the proposal that we proposed, and in the negotiations we had to reach an intermediate point,” says Tito Alvarez, but they do not complain about the result either.

it a little of those that will have a decree total that will see the light tomorrow, and those that will minimize the maneuverability margin of mobility platforms.

  1. All VTCs must be national in scope. Thus, the 4000 residence permits in Catalonia are limited. They must also be registered in the region.
  2. Provided at least 100 services in the last 12 months. The measure was highly unknown in the industry and has its own name for Uber and Bolt. What does it mean? Being a requirement for entry, it does not take into account the activities of the last two companies in the sector. Bolt a few weeks ago and Uber a few days before the decree was announced do not meet the requirement for a year of activity.
  3. Have a vehicle registered with a permit within the last 12 months and on a permanent basis. “All those VTCs or companies that have recalled the cars but got permission to lease the vehicles are gone,” Alvarez says. That’s about 2,200 licenses out of the total in the region, and they realize what a reduction this will mean for businesses. “These are measures that reduce the possibility of obtaining many licenses,” they explain.
  4. Vehicles must be owned or leased. All those who are on a rental system without a driver and renting disappear. It also affects the total number of companies in business.
  5. The one known as the minimum vehicle size and which they explain has become Minimum PSC Requirements. In fact, this is the line that most influences the pocket of mobile platforms. “They will have to change vehicles and make millions of investments to do it the way they should do it,” they note, “it’s a blow to Cabify’s entire waterline.”
  6. VTC drivers will be required to hold a two-year license and a professional exam similar to that used in the taxi industry will be added.
  7. Liability insurance, such as taxis.
  8. If there are previous failures – up to 3 -, it will not be possible to work under a VTC license. This point again has been adapted for Cabify and complaints – which, according to the industry, almost exceed 2000 – which accumulate after these years due to the alleged violation of the current rules and which will be processed shortly. “If Cabify adapts to all of the above, it can’t be that all these years of non-compliance are free,” Alvarez explains.
  9. Transfer of permits, a measure requested by the taxi sector. Transfer of VTC Permits Prohibited with the exception of inheritance or between individuals. This exception is important, as any powertrain limitation would be contrary to the well-known legacy of licenses that maintain high prices in the taxi sector. Legal entities are excluded from the list, special attention is paid to investment funds and large companies. “The goal is to curb speculation through companies and ownership changes,” they add.
  10. The 15 minutes pre-request time is saved with the addition. The legal loophole that allowed Cabify to operate with an annual service agreement for a time has been removed by this clause. It is clarified that the time is indicated for each of the services provided.
  11. Management of holidays in Barcelona, ​​on which the number of working days will be limited. They copy the taxi model: 20% on weekdays and 50% on each of the weekends.
  12. Rental of VTC permits is prohibited.

This must be confirmed anyway. So far, and pending the final text, neither company has confirmed what moves it will make from now on. However, neither Uber, nor Cabify, nor Bolt has much wiggle room with the measures that Barcelona Taxi is already marking as its ultimate success. “This leaves very few VTC licenses in Barcelona,” they conclude. Now the goal is to attack FreeNow and enter the closed bet sector. The model, which, as they note, was completely distorted.

Source: Hiper Textual

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