Taxi Drivers Protesting Ride-Hailing Services in Madrid

Taxi drivers in Madrid staged a protest Monday that had to be broken up by police as they continue to fight against the expansion of app-based ride-hailing services like Uber.

According to The Associated Press, Spanish police announced there had been no arrests or significant clashes with protesting taxi drivers who blocked a main road in Madrid, despite journalists on the scene reporting tense interactions.

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Taxi drivers taking part in the strikes are pushing for the local government in Madrid to impose tighter regulations for the ride-hailing services, such as those imposed on the app-based rides in Barcelona.

As a result of the challenge, companies such as Uber and Cabify have threatened to pull out of Madrid and take an estimated 3,500 jobs with them. Drivers working for the ride-hailing services are also protesting, but they are arguing against the proposed regulations.

The protests from taxi drivers have lasted a week and moved from the city outskirts to Castellana Avenue over the weekend. The demonstrations caused traffic delays Monday until police cleared the road.

Once asked to leave Castellana Avenue, the protestors wearing yellow vests moved their strike to the headquarters of the conservative party ruling the Madrid region.