Professional taxi drivers in Mijas are concerned about illegal competition from prívate individuals who carry fare-paying passengers. This is something which has been going on for years in this municipality, but Jesús Montoya, the president of the local taxi association, says it has increased considerably because of the economic crisis as more people try to find a way to make some money.

The journeys are almost always the same. From Malaga airport to an urbanisation in Calahonda or Riviera del Sol, and vice versa. For these trips, the official fare is about 30 euros but passengers who use the illegal service usually pay less. “Normally these illegal drivers obtain new clients by befriending gardeners in the urbanisations and even waiters in bars which are frequented by foreigners” says Montoya.

Rented cars

Another way of making money in this fraudulent manner is to use rented cars. According to a Mijas taxi driver, this means the individuals concerned can use a different vehicle every week and it makes them more difficult to detect. The advantage of this service for passengers, apart from the lower cost, is that their driver speaks English and knows exactly how to get to their destination, but this is a risky business if there is an accident.

Members of the taxi association have held several meetings with the council’s Transport Department to express their concern about the problem, which is seriously affecting an industry which has already been badly hit by the economic situation. “We have asked the local authority to cooperate with us as much as possible by getting the police to put a stop to this practice, in everybody’s interests”, says the president of the association. More than 90 professional taxi drivers hold a licence in Mijas and they all agree that these frauds should be more strictly controlled, although they are aware that it is difficult for a Local Police patrol to detect them. The taxi drivers have the backing of the Partido Popular, and at the last council meeting in Mijas, the political party expressed its total support for the taxi drivers and asked for action to be taken to put an end to the problem, says PP spokesman Ángel Nozal.

Police action

Since becoming aware of the problem, the Local Police have succeeded in detaining one of these ‘pirates’. The councillor for Transport, Encarnación Daunis, says they have also contacted numerous hotels and other establishments where it is known that the practice is prevalent, to advise them that it is illegal and warn them of the associated risks. The councillor says that improving public transport is a priority for her department, and she can count on the cooperation of the police to identify offenders and put an end to the problem in the interests of the local taxi industry.