Thousands of taxis bring Barcelona to a standstill in go-slow protest
Cab drivers block Catalan capital's two main ring roads all morning to denounce 'abuses' by insurance companies
Thousands of taxi drivers brought Barcelona to a standstill on Wednesday morning in a go-slow protest.
According to the Élite Taxi union, over 5,000 drivers joined the protest, which began at 10 am at the city's airport.
Protesters then slowly drove their taxis towards Barcelona's two main ring roads: Ronda de Dalt and Ronda Litoral.
Both roads have been blocked throughout the morning, and it is strongly advised to avoid them until the protest is over.
The demonstration concluded around 2 pm when drivers return to the airport, and traffic will return to normal.
With this protest, taxi drivers are joining a nationwide strike against what they describe as the "abusive prices" of insurance companies.
Élite Taxi spokesperson Tito Álvarez stated that insurance companies are raising prices due to an increase in accidents involving ride-hailing vehicles such as Uber, Cabify, and Bolt.
Álvarez urged the government to revise regulations to protect taxis and warned of more protests if changes are not made.
In fact, he has announced another march from Plaça Espanya to Sants station on February 11.