15,000 Madrid Taxi drivers go on strike to show solidarity with their Barcelona colleagues as they p

According to a report in ChannelNewsAsia , the Federation of Madrid Taxis has claimed that 15,000 taxi drivers went on strike on Saturday, 28, to show support to Barcelona taxi drivers that spent the last two days protesting against ride-hailing apps Uber and Cabify. Taxis stopped offering their services in the Spanish capital at the airport and around railway and bus stations to show their solidarity against the apps which they say are taking away their livelihoods. Heated demonstrations in Barcelona prompted Uber and Cabify to suspend all services in the city. Angry taxi drivers attacked Uber vehicles, kicking at the car and throwing flares into the air. Taxi drivers across Spain say that too many licences are being handed out to the ride-hailing industry which is creating an oversaturated industry. Legislation that would see the government enforce a ruling that only 1 VTC (tourism vehicle with chauffeur) licence could be issued for every 30 traditional taxi licence was put on hold, angering drivers into protesting their concerns. Madrid's support to taxi drivers in Barcelona shows that the problem with issuing endless amounts of licences to ride-hailing services is bigger than any one city, it has become national.