New rules to limit Uber and similar taxi apps in Murcia
Town halls will soon decide how many app-based taxis can operate in their area
The Region of Murcia is getting ready to introduce new rules to control how taxi apps like Uber and Cabify work in towns and cities.At the moment, there’s a legal gap in how these app-based taxi services, known in Spanish as “Vehículos de Transporte con Conductor’ (VTCs), are managed. The national government in Madrid set out rules back in 2018, but those only covered longer-distance journeys between towns and cities. That means there are no clear rules for local, urban journeys, something the regional government now wants to fix.
To do that, the Regional Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure has been working on new regulations. These rules will give each town hall the power to decide how many of these “VTC” licences (for app-based private hire vehicles) are allowed in their area and how they can operate.
José Francisco Lajara, from the regional ministry, said they’ve spent the past six months working with the local taxi sector to come up with a fair solution. “The aim is to maintain a balanced coexistence between VTCs and taxis, as has been the case in recent years,” he said.
The new rules will also allow local councils to set limits based on things like traffic levels, pollution and efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Once the new law is approved, there will be a pause on handing out any new VTC licences for local journeys. This moratorium will last until each council brings in its own local rules. In the meantime, VTC drivers who already have a licence will still be able to work.
Another important change is that anyone who wants to apply for a new VTC licence for longer-distance trips in the future will first need to get permission from their local council.
The regional government says these changes are all about closing the gaps left by national laws and making sure each town can manage transport in a way that suits its needs.
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