Tense Relationship Between Taxi Drivers And Uber Drivers In Europe

In much of Europe, the number of taxi licenses far exceeds that of rental vehicle licenses with applications.

The platform that connects users with the most widespread rental vehicles in the world is Uber, a company founded in 2009 in San Francisco (California, USA) that has 16,000 employees and more than 75 million users worldwide, according to data from the company.

In much of Europe the number of taxi licenses far exceeds the number of licenses for rental vehicles with applications, although in some countries, such as Belgium and Italy, platform rental vehicles double that of taxis or in cities in the United Kingdom, such as London, the number of drivers licensed rental services with platform as Uber reaches almost five times the number of taxi drivers.

SPAIN

In Spain there are 64,961 taxi licenses at the state level, of which 24% are concentrated in Madrid, specifically 15,497, followed by Barcelona, with 10,702. The number of licenses used by companies such as Uber and Cabify exceeds 9,000 at the state level.

The regulations establish an authorization of vehicles with driver for every 30 taxies, a proportion that is not met in most communities, which has led to strikes and protests in major cities by the taxi sector.

FRANCE

Some 60,000 taxi drivers work in France, while the number of private drivers is close to 26,000, a figure that has doubled in the last four years due to the success of the applications.

The French taxi drivers’ guild has staged numerous demonstrations against this type of platform, as they are required to have more obligations than private drivers.

While town councils set a limited number of taxis, there are no limits for chauffeur-driven vehicle services, which in order to work need only pass an examination and a series of checks in order to receive a permit in the police prefecture.

Their administrative fees do not exceed 200 euros, as opposed to the more than 100,000 that are paid in the market for buying and selling taxi licenses.

PORTUGAL

The taxi licenses in Portugal are about 13,000, according to the National Association of Light Road Transporters (Antral), while the service provided by platforms such as Uber and Cabify, could be around 3,000.

The legalization of these platforms in Portugal was harshly contested by the taxi sector with several strikes and protests for what they consider “unfair competition” of these services.

Last March, the Portuguese Parliament approved the law that regularized this type of transport platforms, but it was vetoed by the president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, so the Chamber is working on a new version to achieve a more balanced treatment between these operators and taxis.

GERMANY

In Germany, the number of taxis is around 56,000, of which 8,161 operate in Berlin, while transport with applications is not known a specific figure.

Since 2014 several platforms such as Uber and Taxify operate in the country, although not in all cities. Uber only operates in Munich and Berlin, after having retired from Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt.

All drivers of these applications need to obtain a passenger transport license, which certifies their training, and their companies need a taxi concession, which is regulated by the federal states.

ITALY

In Italy, an estimated 40,000 taxi drivers work, half of them in major cities, while the number of driver-driven vehicles doubles to 80,000, according to data from the Association of Categories of Driven Vehicles.

Italian taxi drivers have staged numerous strikes and protests against the lack of legislation controlling car rental services with applications like Uber.