#hailing apps

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/mvlm2w

BARCELONA, Spain | Barcelona taxis strike to protest ride-hailing apps

BARCELONA, Spain — Taxi drivers from all corners of Spain drove to Barcelona to join a 48-hour strike Wednesday to protest against the growing number of cars operating under ride-hailing apps. Uber and Cabify briefly halted services, saying some of their drivers were attacked in the city on the sidelines of the demonstration.

The taxi drivers, who joined a raucous protest in front of the Arch of Triumph, oppose the recent suspension of additional authorization required for ride-hailing companies to operate in Barcelona.

They want a previously agreed ratio of 30 taxi licenses for every authorized ride-hailing car to be honored. The current ratio in Barcelona stands at about 6.7 to 1.

Thousands of demonstrators lit firecrackers and honked car horns as they marched to a government building to demand more regulation on the ride-booking apps they claim are taking away their jobs.

Later Wednesday, Uber and Cabify announced they were temporarily suspending services in Barcelona after attacks on some of their drivers.

Eduardo Martin, spokesman for Unauto, the Spanish national association for drivers of ride-hailing apps, including Uber and Cabify, said there had been dozens of assaults by pro-taxi demonstrators against Uber and Cabify drivers and passengers in Barcelona, mainly in front of hotels.

Two drivers were hospitalized, he said. One was left unconscious, and the other was taken to the hospital with first degree burns to his face after an acid attack.

Cars were left with broken windows and wing mirrors.