Taxi driver arrested for attacking ride-hailing car

The Catalan police has arrested a taxi driver for “violently and aggressively" attacking a ride-hailing car in a protest to demand regulation against apps such as Uber and Cabify on July 25.

According to police reports, at the moment of the attacks the vehicle was carrying a couple with a child. When the driver got out of the car to calm the attackers, they sprayed his face and throw the can at his face.

Damages are worth 7,000 euros, including broken side mirrors and the vehicle’s bodywork.

The taxi driver was arrested in the Catalan town of Lliçà d’Amunt, near Barcelona. Police does not rule out further arrests as the investigation is still underway.

Taxi drivers in Barcelona and its surroundings went on an 8-day-long strike two weeks ago against ride-hailing services which, they claim, put in danger their jobs.

Uber and Cabify temporarily suspended their services after some of their users were attacked by taxi drivers.

When Spain’s High Court in Catalonia (TSJC) suspended local regulation limiting the number of licenses for Uber and Cabify vehicles on July 27, taxi drivers decided to double-down on their protest and occupied two of Barcelona’s main streets for six days in a row.

Taxi drivers called off the strike after the Spanish government compromised to allow regional governments to regulate ride-hailing vehicles’ license.