Taxi strike affecting business activity in Barcelona, says commerce organization

Originally due to end on Friday, industrial action is now indefinite

Stationary taxis on Gran Via in centre of Barcelona (ACN)
Stationary taxis on Gran Via in centre of Barcelona (ACN) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

July 29, 2018 01:39 PM

The taxi drivers’ strike in the Catalan capital and the metropolitan area is already affecting business activity as well as the image of the city, warned the Barcelona Commerce Foundation. The body has called for “urgent proposals” to solve the industrial dispute.

Barcelona has been “shut down” because of the strike, the organization said, indicating that it shares the position of strikers with regard to the “intrusion” into the sector.

“We demand solutions for the taxi sector, just as we demand them for the business sector, forced to live daily with unlawful sales of illegal and counterfeit goods, unfair completion, and the activity of many digital platforms that in many cases pay their taxes outside of the country,” the foundation said in a statement on Sunday.

The foundation works toward the promotion of Barcelona, as well as supporting social, economic, and cultural initiatives within it.