The advance notice of the taxi strike in the capital of Tenerife, called from January 2 to 5, 2024 by the Elite Taxi organization – which leads the majority at the sector’s table – is about to be called off after the celebration of the Round Table yesterday. Taxi, in which the workers agreed with the City Council to continue with the work calendar approved in October and in which it was established to keep 80% of vehicles on the street, with releases two days a week.
A demand put forward by this organization of taxi drivers in response to the City Council’s proposal to keep 100% circulating to cover the demand of citizens on the days when large cruise ships arrive in the capital.
In this sense, the City Council announced that it will meet with the Port Authority to find out how many taxis are needed in the port due to the arrival of cruise passengers and if it is necessary for taxi drivers to work without restrictions to serve travelers.
The spokesperson for Élite Taxi, Miguel Ojeda, stated that, “although the strike notice called is still in place, waiting to see the agreements reached at the Table, it is true that a change has been seen on the part of the City Council, which finally “He has given in to our requests to maintain two days of release.”
Ojeda added that “the only caveat is waiting for this study, which will specify the possibility of working at 100% if cruise ships arrive and, above all, determine their origin, since Italian tourism does hire taxi excursions around the Island, but not the English. . Hence, imposing 730 taxis on the road without a guarantee of covering services was one of the reasons for the strike. When this agreement materializes, the announced strikes will be called off.”
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, chaired the Taxi Table, where the area councilor, Evelyn Alonso, was also present; Mobility technicians, and representatives of professional associations and the Port Authority, “in a meeting in which the calendar proposal for 2024 was announced, the study commissioned by the City Council on the improvement of the sector and the agreement of collaboration within the Port of Santa Cruz.
Among the points, the calendar for 2024 was addressed, “which sparked a wide debate as there was no precise information on how many taxis are needed in the port due to the arrival of cruise passengers,” explained the mayor. In this regard, he added that “since to date we only have the number of cruises per day, but we lack relevant information on the type of passengers likely to require this service, it has been decided to meet with the Port Authority once per month to adjust real demand.”
“With this information – Alonso explained – we will know in advance the needs of cruise passengers and we will be able to decide, as the City Council, whether it is necessary for all the units to operate on those days or not, without restrictions due to the bill of releases. The purpose is none other than not to reduce the supply of taxis for the rest of the city and, although it has been approved by the Board, it will be reviewed when the necessary information is available and if necessary, it will be raised to a decree and modified. ”.
Regarding the extraordinary collaboration of the Taxi Board in tasks of coordinating the service in the port, it was agreed that a collaborating company will carry it out, always informing the City Council as they are municipal licenses.
Likewise, the study commissioned at the request of the General Intervention was presented “which understands that, as a result of the approval of the rescue of licenses, not everything can be solved in terms of the competitiveness of the sector with this economic formula, but that necessary improvements in its operation,” Alonso stressed.
The modification of the ordinance, which will be taken to Plenary today to regularize the public service, includes the authorization of the salaried driver, vehicle replacement and accessibility, regulation of advertising in auto-taxis, application of rates, clothing, smoking ban or sanctions for non-compliance, among others.
