Uber has filed a legal complaint with Catalan competition authorities against the Élite Taxi association and its spokesperson, Tito Álvarez.

The multinational alleges the planned taxi strike on December 9 constitutes an “attempted boycott” of its services.

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Consequently, the company has taken the offensive in an escalating conflict over Catalonia’s new taxi law.

Uber Complaint Targets Planned December 9 Strike

The complaint, submitted to the Catalan Competition Authority (ACCO), criticises the association’s prohibition on its members providing services to Uber during the strike. Furthermore, Uber warns that picket lines are expected across the country during the protest. The company argues these actions violate Article 1 of the Competition Defence Law. Meanwhile, ACCO has confirmed receipt of the document and will proceed to analyse it before making a decision.

This legal action arrives during a period of maximum tension between the taxi sector and VTC companies. The tension stems from Catalonia’s new taxi law, currently in parliamentary proceedings after years of negotiation. The legislation aims to reform the sector and would gradually eliminate urban VTC licences in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area as they expire. Additionally, it creates a new ‘High Availability’ VTC category requiring two-hour pre-booking and minimum one-hour service durations.

Uber has reminded authorities that in 2023, ACCO fined Élite Taxi €122,910 for a “collective boycott recommendation” against the platform. That resolution included an express “cease and desist” order prohibiting the association from promoting any conduct aimed at obstructing Uber or other mobility platforms. The authority warned that repeat offences could be considered “continued or recurrent infringement.” Uber now considers the taxi drivers’ latest statements a new attack and has initiated legal action to protect the over 2,000 taxi drivers who work with its platform in Barcelona.

Taxi Sector Prepares For “Historic” Protest

The planned taxi strike across Catalonia for December 9 aims to be a “historic” protest that would leave the entire country without service, including airports and train and bus stations. Élite Taxi has stated that “only medical emergencies will be attended, and completely free of charge.” The mobilisation seeks to pressure Parliament not to backtrack and to limit VTC company activity while demanding full compliance with the law. Taxi drivers assert the strike is “irreversible” and will not be called off “under any circumstances.”

Beyond criticising Uber—whose recent sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona has infuriated the sector—as well as Cabify and Bolt, taxi representatives also point to entities like the Restaurant Guild, Barcelona Oberta, and business associations. They accuse these groups of defending “a model that precariously employs, exploits, and tramples on labour rights and public mobility.” The strike is scheduled from 10:00 to 16:00 on Tuesday, December 9, although taxi drivers from across Catalonia will begin arriving in Barcelona, the protest’s epicentre, from 9:00. This dispute reflects broader tensions in Barcelona’s transport landscape, where new funding models for public transport are also being debated.

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