Barcelona taxi strike action brought central traffic to a standstill on Tuesday as drivers escalated their long-running dispute with VTC services.

According to spokesperson Tito Álvarez of the Élite Taxi group, around 1,800 vehicles blocked key arteries between Gran Via and Passeig de Gràcia from 10:00 until 16:00.

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Álvarez subsequently issued a stark warning: if Catalonia’s Parliament fails to approve the new taxi law by March, the sector will call an indefinite strike.

Barcelona Taxi Strike Escalates Over Regulatory Delays

The protest, however, revealed divisions within the industry. It notably lacked support from other major taxi organisations and the PakTaxi association, which represents many drivers of Pakistani origin. Álvarez claimed 90% of taxi companies and dispatchers supported Tuesday’s action, which he framed as a battle against “predatory multinationals” in the VTC sector. Drivers occupied sections of the roadway while maintaining one lane for public transport and emergency vehicles, therefore minimising disruption to buses and pedestrians.

Álvarez accused VTC companies of attempting to “pervert the sector” and labelled them “the pickpockets of transport.” He called for local police to more rigorously enforce existing regulations against these services. The core demand remains the approval of new legislation regulating passenger transport in vehicles of up to nine seats. The proposed law, currently being processed, would also introduce Catalan language requirements for taxi drivers—a point of contention with PakTaxi, which Álvarez accused of opposing the promotion of Catalan.

Furthermore, Álvarez announced that Élite Taxi has filed a complaint against Uber with the Catalan Competition Authority. The day’s mobilisation continued with drivers heading to the headquarters of Foment del Treball, the Catalan employers’ association, to voice their grievances. This protest follows a pattern of industrial action by taxi drivers concerned about the impact of VTC platforms on their livelihoods. The threat of an indefinite strike in March places significant pressure on lawmakers to resolve the issue, potentially setting the stage for major transport disruptions in the Catalan capital if a political solution is not found.

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