Madrid Uber protests: Riot police deployed as taxi drivers in yellow vests light fires and block traffic

‘Do not run out of firewood, this will last a long time,’ says union boss as protesters disrupt Spanish capital

Riot police have been deployed in Madrid as taxi drivers lit bonfires and blocked traffic in protest over ride-hailing apps such as Uber.

Drivers, wearing yellow vests akin to those used by demonstrators in neighbouring France, disrupted a major highway in the Spanish capital.

The group threatened to block access to an international tourism show, due to be opened by King Felipe at a conference centre the outskirts of the city on Wednesday.

Taxi drivers in both Madrid and Barcelona have been protesting for several days after calling an indefinite strike over what they consider is unfair competition from ride-hailing apps including Uber and Cabify.

Drivers using the apps are able to work using a regulation known as a VTC licence, which circumvents Spanish laws requiring taxi drivers to have a pre-booked appointment with customers.

One protester was seriously injured in Madrid on Tuesday after being hit by a car while trying to block an access road to the airport.

Drivers in the city remained gathered around bonfires outside the conference centre throughout the evening on Tuesday and into Wednesday, waiting for the protests to resume in the morning.

“In the Community of Madrid there is a clear political will to side with the VTC platforms, leaving aside the taxi collective,” Madrid Federation of Professional Taxi Drivers president Julio Sanz told the crowd according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

“Do not run out of firewood, because this will last a long time. We will not leave here until we win this battle.”

The protests so far appear to have fallen on deaf ears, with the president of the Community of Madrid, Angel Garrido, refusing to consider regulations against ride-sharing apps.

“I am willing to legislate on what concerns me, which is attracting customers, but if someone wants to legislate to eliminate a sector, I tell them they have made a mistake,” he told El Confidencial.

Mr Garrido has also called on drivers to demonstrate “responsibility” over the protests, insisting “a taxi strike does not benefit anyone”, with thousands of international visitors due in Madrid for the tourism conference.

Meanwhile, the dispute in Barcelona appeared to have been resolved after Catalan authorities offered to introduce rules meaning app users would have to book lift-sharing rides at least an hour in advance.

But Uber and Cabify have now threatened to withdraw their services completely from the city over the possible legislation, while taxi drivers’ unions will meet on Wednesday to decide if they are even prepared to accept the terms.

Around 5,200 vehicles are thought to be operating across Spain using a VTC licence, while the country is home to more than 67,000 taxis.

Additional reporting by AP