Councils in Costa del Sol resorts are stepping up police inspections to monitor Uber and Cabify

Although this situation arises every year, this time the local authorities are really taking it seriously. Licenced taxi drivers are very concerned about the number of these vehicles with drivers, who operate via the aforementioned apps. Altogether, about 400 such cars are operating on the coast between Malaga and Marbella this summer. The taxi drivers accuse them of unfair competition and 'bad practice' by illegally picking up clients.

Councils on the Costa del Sol do not have the resources to monitor the situation as closely as they would like, but they are committed to greater supervision and inspections. Police officers have received extra training and have been told to carry out more checks in areas such as the airport, railways stations, marinas and outside hotels.

They will be making sure that vehicles which transport paying passengers have a contract to do so and that the details are set out on the appropriate form. They will also check that the drivers are not driving around looking for clients or parking in places where they can pick up unauthorised business, something which is prohibited under transport laws.

Fines

If they are found to be contravening the regulations, either the self-employed driver or the company which has issued them a licence (Uber and Cabify operate as intermediaries between the drivers and the users) can be fined 401 euros if they do not have a properly completed hire contract, and 601 euros if they try to pick up clients who have not previously booked them. The highest fine, of 1,385 euros, is given to cars which are found to be providing a taxi service without having the relevant transportation card. When these 'pirate' taxis are discovered, they are taken to a vehicle pound and the owner cannot retrieve them until he or she has paid the fine and the fee for the tow- truck.

Malaga airport is a very attractive proposition for these vehicles and there has been conflict between their drivers and taxis in the past. Malaga's Local Police force carries out checks around the airport and also the bus and railway stations. During the first week of this operation, which began on 5 June when the Uber service started, 17 drivers have been caught driving around looking for clients, whereas in the period from 1 January to 31 May only three were discovered. Altogether there were 131 inspections up until 13 June, and 31 drivers were reported for some type of offence. During the whole of last year and the first five months of this year, 195 such drivers were reported.

Permanent inspections

Although the checks have been stepped up to coincide with the start of the Uber service, Malaga council intends to keep up the pressure on a permanent basis, especially around the airport.

Marbella council is also using a specific team from the Local Police with officers who have undergone specific training. The 14 officers will work alongside normal patrols, so there will be two inspections a day from 1 July throughout the summer. Torremolinos and Benalmádena will also be stepping up their checks on this type of vehicle, and Fuengirola and Mijas are following suit.

Contributors: Héctor Barbotta and Alberto Gómez.