IT’S the end of the road for taxi numbers in Ronda – with the town hall flogging off one final licence to hit the city’s legal limit.
The golden ticket, worth a base of €15,000, has set cabbies buzzing as they battle it out for the 20th and last spot on the streets.
Traffic boss Jorge Fernandez said the move was vital to cut waiting times for locals and tourists alike, admitting: “People have been crying out for more taxis. We needed them.”
Hopefuls will be scored on how much cash they offer – the higher the bid, the more points they bag. But it’s not just about the money.
Veteran drivers get bonus marks for years behind the wheel, while anyone rolling out an electric car could pick up 15 extra points. Old gas-guzzlers, meanwhile, will barely scrape one.
Applications are open until October 16, with bidders able to check full details online.
Fernandez added: “This is great news for Ronda. Let the best cabbie win.”
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Who sets the limits for taxi licences in Ronda? Given the reported comments from the ” traffic boss” it would appear that the limit should be raised. Interestingly, having just returned from Cordoba, where the longest time we had to wait for a taxi was only 2 minutes prompted the question to our driver of “how many taxis are there in Cordoba?” We learned that the figure is 309, which seemed very few. Given the population is some 320,000 that works out to one taxi to around 1,035 inhabitants. Also, in praise of the taxis, the fares are very reasonable, especially when compared to Murcia.