MALAGA, 15 (EUROPA PRESS)
The general coordinator of the Andalusian United Left and member of Congress, Toni Valero, has registered an initiative with the Congress of Deputies to urge the Ministry of Transport and AENA to "act in defense of the taxi sector" and to explain "what measures they are going to adopt in response to the repeated awarding of VIP seats at airports such as Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga to companies providing vehicle transport with driver (VTC), a practice that causes an unfair imbalance to the detriment of public taxis."
In this regard, he has demanded that the airport company "stop favoring" VTCs by allocating exclusive parking at the airport in the capital of the Costa del Sol.
In a statement, Valero urged "AENA, the Ministry of Transport, the Government Delegation in Andalusia, the Regional Government, and Malaga City Council to coordinate immediately to prevent administrative decisions and poor management in the fulfillment of the responsibilities of each administration from worsening the situation at a critical time for mobility and tourism in the city, in the middle of the summer season and with the Malaga Fair just around the corner."
In this context, the general coordinator of the United Left of Andalusia has warned that "Málaga cannot become the scene of administrative decisions that generate confusion among those arriving in the city, nor condemn hundreds of drivers and their families to losing their ability to work."
In this regard, he noted that "in a context where platforms and operators have strengthened their presence and obtained licenses or preferential pick-up points at airports, the existence of exclusive parking for VTCs puts the taxi sector in a clearly disadvantaged position."
He also stressed that this situation is "especially serious during peak periods, such as the weeks leading up to and during the Málaga Fair, when demand soars and public service must be guaranteed with equity in mind."
The Andalusian coordinator of IU has called for "specific measures such as the immediate suspension and review of specifications or awards that grant VIP parking to VTCs at airport facilities until equal conditions are guaranteed," as well as "the prioritization of taxi layover areas and immediate access in terminals during peak demand periods and the implementation of effective controls to prevent discriminatory uses of public space that favor certain operators."
Valero has proposed "opening channels of dialogue with the taxi industry to coordinate support measures, extended hours, temporary permits, and support plans that will help absorb temporary increases in demand without penalizing taxi workers."
For her part, the provincial coordinator of the United Left (IU), Toni Morillas, maintained that "it's about protecting jobs and public services; the right of the people of Malaga and visitors to an orderly, accessible, and fair transportation service is at stake." Finally, she promised that she will remain "vigilant and will present the necessary initiatives to defend the taxi industry and all citizens."
