Joshua Parfitt
THREE ‘pirate taxis’ have been confiscated from their drivers during a sting operation at Alicante-Elche Airport.
The vehicles were found to have no authorisation to take passengers to and from the airport
The cars were impounded and drivers denounced.
The denunciation carries a fine that must be paid before the illicit drivers can collect their vehicles.
One of the drivers, from Torrevieja, had not had an official tarjeta de transporte since 2017.
Dave McQueen, owner of Alicante Transfers Ltd, told the Olive Press that official VTC licenses cost ‘from €15,000 to €50,000’.
He said VTC licenses allow a private car to be used in a professional capacity, and that a legal car’s rear number ‘should be blue’.
He added there is an app called ‘Control de VTC’s y Piratas’ that Android users can use to check car number plates for their licenses.
Colin, who runs A2B Taxis from Pedreguer, said: “There’s a special zone for legal taxis at Alicante-Elche Airport.
“But I’ve seen drivers in the car park illegally picking up passengers without them knowing.”
He said that by the end of June, all private cars with VTC licences ‘must get blue plates’ installed.
A spokesperson for Urban Mobility and Road Crime office at Elche town hall said the unit would ramp up coordinated efforts for the coming tourist season.
