Barcelona officials and technology platform leaders have issued a united call for the city’s iconic black-and-yellow taxi sector to accelerate its digital transformation, arguing that embracing mobile apps is crucial for survival and competition against ride-hailing services (VTCs).

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Officials made the urgent appeal at a recent mobility forum, “The Taxi, a Key Piece for Urban Mobility,” organised by elTaxi 033 and the Spanish Taxi Federation (Fedetaxi). The consensus was clear: to maintain its priority status in the city, the traditional taxi service must adapt to the modern consumer, particularly the app-savvy tourist.

“We are in a process of tremendous change, and consumers lead it,” warned Angel Díaz, president of Advanced Leisure Services (ALS). He cautioned drivers that they often “do not have a presence where the tourists are.” Tourists arriving in Barcelona, he noted, are now far more likely to book a ride on their phone than to look for a taxi rank.

A Municipal Priority with a Caveat

Lídia Torres, Director of Mobility Services for the Barcelona City Council, reaffirmed the administration’s support for the sector. “The taxi is the priority for the city over VTCs,” she stated, adding that it “forms part of the DNA of Barcelona.”

However, this support also comes with a firm expectation of modernisation. With 10,500 licences and around 6,000 drivers operating daily, Torres stressed the need to “review how to improve the service” and called for progress on digitalisation. “Applications like Freenow are very useful and they help provide the service and reach the tourism sector,” she said, according to reports from El Periódico.

An impending legislative shift also underpins this drive for change. The Generalitat de Catalunya is preparing a new transport law, expected to enter parliamentary process this spring, that could significantly limit the circulation of VTCs in urban areas. This has prompted VTC giants to pivot, with both Cabify and Bolt recently opening their platforms to licensed taxis, joining established players like Freenow and Uber in a bid to work with, rather than against, the taxi fleet.

A Call for an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Industry leaders at the forum urged taxi drivers, who are often self-employed, to adopt a more business-focused approach. Dionisio Gracia, President of Taxi Services Provider (TSP), called for a “greater entrepreneurial vision.”

“It is not about turning the sector into one big company, but about transforming the individual into an ecosystem of self-employed people with a business vision,” Gracia explained.

He argued that platforms enable drivers to earn more in less time. He also suggested maximising each licence by running “taxis on double shifts” with hired drivers.

“We must anticipate,” he insisted, warning of future disruptions like robotaxis. “If a current cannot be stopped, we must get ahead of it to emerge as strong as possible through efficiency.”

Isabel García, Freenow’s director general in Spain, echoed this sentiment. “The taxi has to adapt to the new ways of picking up passengers. If the taxi isn’t there to cover the needs, another way will be used,” she said, as reported by Metrópoli Abierta.

Freenow, the most-used app by Barcelona’s taxi drivers with over 4,300 registered, aims to “accompany the taxi in its digitalisation.”

Cooperate to Lead

While the focus was on adaptation, there was also a call for a level playing field. Ciriaco Hidalgo, president of the Catalan Council for Labour, Economic and Social Affairs (CTESC), noted that taxis operate in a “hyper-regulated sector.” He argued that technology platforms “must be as compliant” as the taxi service itself.

Despite this, Hidalgo’s ultimate recommendation was cooperation over confrontation. He advised the taxi sector to work with technology partners to “lead and manage the changes,” rather than risk being left behind as “others take the benefits.”

As Barcelona’s streets continue to be a battleground for urban mobility, the message from city hall and the industry is unambiguous: for the city’s cherished taxis to secure their future, the meter is not enough. The smartphone is the new frontier.

According to the official source, see El Govern presenta novetats i millores en la nova regulació dels serveis de taxi i VTC (Generalitat de Catalunya press release).