SIMMERING tensions between taxi drivers and Uber drivers have flared once again on Mallorca after a video emerged showing a confrontation between the two.
A group of taxi drivers were filmed stopping an Uber driver in Peguera and accosting him through his window, demanding to know where he was going, Ultima Hora report.
Someone in the crowd can be heard saying: “This is going to end badly, it’s going to end very badly. We’re going to set cars on fire…”
While the exact date of the incident captured in the video is not clear, it is believed to have occurred in recent days.
As the Uber driver is forced to stop, the audio captures someone asking him: “Don’t you know you can’t roam around?”
The driver replies that he does not.
Although initially sceptical, another individual from the group of taxi drivers comes to the Uber driver’s defence.
“This is the first time it has happened with you, it’s true.” he’s heard saying.
“But your colleagues have done it.”
They eventually let the driver go, but not without some audible threats in the background.
After the incident, Uber released a statement calling for protection for their drivers from the authorities.
“We are saddened that a part of the taxi sector in Mallorca is resorting to harassment of VTC [licence] drivers who use our platform.
“We ask for the collaboration of the local authorities to prevent escalation of this type of intolerable action.”
The clash between traditional taxi drivers and app-based ride-hailing services like Uber has been ongoing in Mallorca for years.
But in recent days, tensions between taxi professionals and Uber drivers have become increasingly palpable across the island.
While some view ride-hailing services as a convenient and modern transportation option, traditional taxi drivers argue that Uber and similar platforms flout regulations and don’t stick to the same stringent licensing requirements they must meet.
They argue that Uber drivers are essentially providing taxi services without fulfilling the necessary obligations or paying the same fees.
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