Hundreds of striking Barcelona cabbies in go slow protest

Taxi drivers tried to block access to Barcelona on Thursday, the second day of a strike marked by violence against Uber and Cabify drivers, who suspended their services in the Spanish city.

Hundreds of taxis gathered at Barcelona’s El Prat airport, Spain’s second busiest, and drove slowly to the port, causing a traffic jam stretching several kilometres in the south of the Mediterranean seaside city.

The taxi sector called a 48-hour strike after the Spanish government appealed a ruling approved by Barcelona authorities that limited the number of VTC licences for Uber-style services given to professional, non-taxi drivers.

The ruling, which has been suspended pending a decision, stipulated that one VTC licence could be awarded for every 30 taxi licences in Barcelona.

During the first day of the strike on Wednesday some taxi drivers threw stones at the vehicles of Uber-style licensed private drivers, with some ending up with flat tyres.

At least two drivers had been taken to hospital, according to association representing the ride-hailing companies, Unauto VTC.

The attacks prompted Ubery and Cabify to suspend their services in Barcelona as long as the taxi strike lasts.

The influential Elite Taxi association said while it “energetically rejected and condemned without reservations any type of violence or aggression” they will continue fighting “until the end”.