The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, through the Department of Transport and Mobility, has initiated two new sanctioning proceedings against two vehicles for the alleged provision of public passenger transport services without the required administrative authorization.
The two actions took place in the early hours of August 6 in the vicinity of the La Marina Shopping Center, in Arrecife, coinciding with a day of special influx of young people to the leisure area. National Police agents detected in both cases how the vehicles repeatedly went to the location to pick up passengers and subsequently transport them to different points in the capital.
During the intervention, the agents also located three mobile phones and an electronic payment terminal, verifying in one of the devices the existence of a messaging group called "Uber". The file indicates that these elements are considered complementary evidence and that the imputation is mainly based on the action observed by the agents and on the statements of the passengers about the system used to request the service.
More than 8,000 euros in proposed sanctions
As a consequence of both actions, the Cabildo has initiated the corresponding sanctioning procedures and, as stated by the Minister of Transport and Mobility, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, "each of the files contemplates a proposed sanction of 4,001 euros, so the joint amount amounts to 8,002 euros".
"The facts," adds Jiménez, "are classified as a very serious infraction by the Canary Islands transport regulations, as it is allegedly the provision of public transport without the concession, authorization, or license that is required."
The minister emphasizes that "these two actions demonstrate the importance of maintaining active surveillance over new methods used to attract passengers. We are detecting a form of intrusion that quickly adapts to new communication channels. We are no longer only talking about picking up passengers directly on the street, but about arranging services in advance through telephones and messaging applications," explained Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
The counselor also focused on compliance with the rules by the professional sector. “Authorized carriers are subject to obligations and controls precisely to ensure that the service is provided with all guarantees. It is not fair that those who decide to operate outside these requirements compete under the same conditions,” he states.
Likewise, Jiménez called on users to check that the contracted service corresponds to a legally authorized operator. “When a person requests transport through a phone number or a social network, they must be clear about who is behind that service and if they have the necessary authorization. The convenience of finding a vehicle quickly cannot outweigh the guarantees that regulated transport must offer,” he added.
Reinforcement of collaboration with security forces
The two actions occurred thanks to the surveillance work carried out by agents of the National Police in the leisure area of La Marina, who observed the repeated movements of both vehicles and proceeded to identify the drivers and passengers. In addition, these agents later transferred all the information to the Local Police of Arrecife for the corresponding formalization of the complaint.
The Cabildo emphasizes the importance of this collaboration to detect activities that, by their very nature, can be carried out discreetly and using digital channels to contact users.
The island institution will continue with the inspection and monitoring of these practices, while reminding residents and visitors of the importance of hiring only duly authorized transport services, thus contributing to a safer, more regulated mobility system with guarantees for all users.
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