Santa Cruz Taxis Plan Protest, Accuse Governments of Deception

Santa Cruz taxi drivers are planning a demonstration tomorrow, accusing the city council, the island government (Cabildo), and the Canary Islands Government of completely misleading them. The Élite Taxi association, which represents the majority of drivers on the city council's Taxi Board, announced yesterday that the protest will involve over 450 vehicles. It aims to block the city center from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, specifically in the area surrounding Plaza de España.

Miguel Ojeda, president of Élite Taxi, explained that despite their efforts to work with the City Council, this has been denied. He stated that taxi drivers cannot be subject to unfair decisions or suffer the consequences of political deals and disputes. Ojeda highlighted that they feel deceived regarding a tuk-tuk company, as authorities haven't firmly stated that municipal operating permits will be denied. He added that these issues are part of long-standing problems, made worse by a bike lane that removed necessary taxi stops and the entry of tourist buses as direct competition.

Other grievances for the protest include an outdated support plan for the sector, a lack of financial aid, and intentional delays in promised projects like a new taxi app, subsidies for cameras, and payments for accessible taxis for people with reduced mobility. Ojeda also criticized Mobility councilor Evelyn Alonso for her poor handling of taxi license buybacks and her apparent intention to allow private hire vehicles (VTCs) into the market.

Furthermore, Ojeda pointed out that the Canary Islands Government hasn't updated "fare category 3" in nearly three years, which has reduced taxi drivers' income. There's also no compensation for the free bus and tram services, a problem the island government (Cabildo) has also ignored. He concluded that politicians' complete inaction allows insurance companies to exploit drivers and illegal taxi operations to thrive.