In Spain, a total of 4,000 taxis already work with Uber, with 3,000 of them in Madrid, where they earn twice as much compared to street-hailed services, according to the company. Tenerife now becomes the sixth territory to have this service. The service was first introduced in Madrid in 2019, followed by Málaga, Barcelona, and Valencia in 2021, and Mallorca in 2023. With the launch, Uber maintains its commitment to collaboration with the taxi sector. Currently, according to the existing ratio, only 85 licenses are authorised on the island, while 2,350 license applications have already been denied due to the limitation. Nevertheless, Pedro Martín, the acting president of the Tenerife Island Cabildo, expressed concerns and emphasised the need to take the necessary measures to ensure regulation of VTC licenses to prevent a massive influx onto the islands. “We have been working on it for months,” he asserted. Yesterday, the General Manager of Uber in Spain and Portugal stated that the company is closely following the application of this ruling in the country but denied that Uber’s arrival in the Canary Islands was prompted by this development. Despite this, the Canary Islands’ Ministry of Public Works, Transport, and Housing, which is responsible for land transport, has informed the local councils that the quota remains in effect in the archipelago, as this restriction is not solely based on economic reasons but also on the need to regulate transportation in an insular and ultra-peripheral territory. However, a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice determined that the Spanish restriction on licenses for vehicles with drivers is contrary to community law. Political concerns have been raised regarding this limitation. Fernández acknowledged that this ratio complicates Uber’s expansion in the Canary Islands but emphasised that the company will always operate “within the legal framework.” According to this regulation, there can be only one VTC license for every 30 taxis. The Transport Regulation Law of the Canary Islands establishes a limitation on VTC (Private Hire Vehicle) licenses, which is the license any private vehicle must apply for to operate through platforms like Uber. Regarding the choice of the premium service, called Uber Black, Fernández explained that the regulations in the archipelago facilitate the granting of licenses associated with high-end vehicles that exceed €50,000. “Now we will analyse the evolution of the number of operations, drivers, taxis, and user interest before expanding to the entire island and Gran Canaria,” detailed Fernández. ![]() In addition, there was a higher presence of potential customers compared to the other capital island, as 50,000 people attempted to book a service from Tenerife last year. The fares will continue to be calculated based on the taximeter, but those who join Uber will also have access to additional incentives.įelipe Fernández, the General Manager of Uber in Spain and Portugal, explained that the decision to choose the south of Tenerife for their initial launch on the Canary Islands was based on several factors, including the increase in the number of visitors observed earlier this year and the forecast of further growth this season. Uber already has 30 cars for the premium service, while for the taxi service, the company encourages taxi drivers to start working with their application. ![]() The service has started in four municipalities, as well as from Tenerife Sur Airport, through two formats: one provided by taxis and another premium service with high-end vehicles.
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