The taxi sector is involved in a new controversy. If this Wednesday, Eurotaxi criticized the new regulations of the sector and assured that it was "illegal", this Thursday one of the taxi drivers of this association, Francisco Javier Guadalupe, has filed a complaint with the National Police for an alleged assault by another taxi driver, which took place at midnight on Wednesday. From Radio Taxi, the other association, they request the name of the alleged aggressor, while the Councilor for Transportation of the Arrecife City Council, Victor Sanginés, demands calm and asks the sector to be "up to the task."
The complainant assures that the events occurred at 00.02 hours at the taxi rank of the Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital. It is not the first time that he has reported similar events. On this occasion, he stated before the National Police that before leaving his vehicle, "from the driver's window an individual grabbed him by the neck, while assaulting him with the other hand." The hand was wrapped "in a white object", but he does not know what it is.
The affected party assured that he received "numerous blows to the face", while the other taxi driver shouted at him "what are you saying about me", according to the complaint to which La Voz has had access. When the alleged assault ended, the taxi driver left the scene. Francisco Javier Guadalupe has an injury report, which he also presented to the Police.
Faced with this controversy, Francisco Javier Guadalupe pointed out this Thursday on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero that "he can't take it anymore." Manuel Guillén, from Radio Taxi, the majority association of Arrecife, also spoke on the Buenos Días Lanzarote program, who has asked Francisco Javier Guadalupe for the name of his aggressor. "I don't know what the reason was, but it just so happened that it was in the hospital. The party involved, I don't think is the most suitable to say why the aggression was," he questioned.
And it is that these two associations have experienced several confrontations in recent times, especially at the Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital stop. Here, the hospital management decided to call each association alternately, something that "does not seem logical to the City Council", since Radio Taxi has "more than 100 members", while Eurotaxi is a minority. This fact also sat very badly with Radio Taxi.
Sanginés, "nervous" about the situation at the Hospital
The Councilor for Transportation, Víctor Sanginés, has tried to ask for calm in the face of the situations that are occurring in this sector, especially at this stop. "This type of situation cannot continue to occur, because it harms the sector itself", Sanginés pointed out, who indicated that he will have to have "a firm hand and begin to solve these situations."
"If there have supposedly been aggressions, this makes me very nervous and I hope that everything is resolved with this man, who is not the first time that he has reported that they paint things and so on. I'm going to get to work to see what happens," said the councilor, who insists that what is happening in the hospital with taxi drivers "is not logical."
And it is that, the councilor has assured that he is "practically obsessed" with what happens in this area, which is also "full of cigarette butts from hospital workers and relatives", despite the fact that the City Council has installed a large ashtray. "I'm there a lot and, sometimes, I act like a spy to find out what's going on," he said.
Sanginés has assured that "probably" the "other party" will have "a different version" about this alleged aggression. "We must stop being childish and be up to the task. I find it painful that the administration intervenes with harsh measures so that the taxi drivers agree once and for all. I find it regrettable and, therefore, I want to apologize, because these situations are envisioned," the mayor criticized.
Sanginés defends the regulation
In addition, Sanginés wanted to defend the regulation that the Arrecife City Council recently approved to regulate the taxi sector, in the face of criticism from Eurotaxi, which assured La Voz this Wednesday that it was "illegal". In the first place, Sanginés has assured that he does not intend to "marginalize" the Eurotaxi licenses, although this group insists that they want to "get rid of their station".
In this regard, the councilor has assured that Eurotaxi "does not have a station", but works with a mobile phone, something that the association denies. "I think 10 licenses are left out, but I'm not going to marginalize anyone.
In addition, the mayor has insisted that he has met with Eurotaxi "two or three times", although he has admitted that "not in recent times". "I know their reality and there are conflicting interests. We have joined a station that is the Auriga, which cost a fortune. We are finalizing the process so that it is transferred to the municipality of Arrecife, because it meets all the parameters. That can be an appropriate fleet control and we want everyone to join that central office," Sanginés defended, who recalled that the regulation was approved "unanimously by all the groups in the plenary session."
"I find it incomprehensible"
While Eurotaxi attacks this regulation, Radio Taxi defends it and criticizes Francisco Javier Guadalupe. "That man is not a representative of any association. He is just an employee of a man who has a taxi. We are not going to allow an employee who can be in any taxi to tell us that he is not interested in the way we work," questioned Manuel Guillén, from Radio Taxi. "I find it incomprehensible, because it is my business and I am the one who pays the taxes at the end of the month, not him, who is an employee," he insisted.
Therefore, Guillén does not understand how an employee "can tell the 110 with Radio Taxi licenses that the approved rules are illegal." For that reason, he asks that they stop "committing to a group" that is being "beaten all day long." "Sincerely, if you are in the group, respect the rules of the group," he defended.
