The Lanzarote Professional Association of Taxi Drivers has called a strike to take place on Friday to denounce the intrusion suffered by the sector. The workers will hold a concentration on the esplanade in front of the Tías football field, from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The association, which in Tías brings together 109 taxis, has invited taxi drivers from Yaiza and Teguise to join this strike.
The president of this association, Leocadio Martín, explained to La Voz that the "intrusion is getting stronger and stronger" and the authorities have so far "done nothing". "They are stealing our work, both foreigners and people from the country. They make trips to the airport with their private cars picking up and bringing tourists. We have passed the license plates to the authorities, but they do nothing", denounced Martín, who insisted that taxi drivers "pay Social Security, income tax and their fees", while others "steal jobs".
Leocadio Martín has assured that this intrusion is evident on the routes that go from Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca to the airport. "But they also do excursions in private cars and there are people who even rent a car for a day to take tourists around the island", he indicated.
According to Martín, there is also "a bus company that is giving commissions at hotel and apartment receptions so that tourists take the trip to the airport with them". "They charge 17 euros, when our rates, which are legal, are eleven euros. But of course, we don't give a commission to anyone and it seems that this is now a crime", he pointed out.
Lack of institutional interest
These "intruders", according to Martín, act with "tremendous impunity", given the "lack of interest" of the island's institutions. Two weeks ago, the taxi drivers met with the mayor of Yaiza, Gladys Acuña, to explain the intrusion that, according to them, also exists in this municipality. This Thursday they will hold another meeting at 10:00 a.m. "Let's see what the politicians do, because this is enough", said Martín, who has asked the Tías City Council to "take measures to put an end to this".
As he explained, an operation was carried out last week in Fuerteventura to control intrusion. "There was a control by the Civil Guard together with the Local Police, the Transport Inspector of the Cabildo and the taxi association in Fuerteventura. In less than three hours they imposed fines worth 25,000 euros", he pointed out. "It is clear that something was not working, but here in Lanzarote nobody does anything".
"We want to speak loudly, because this is enough. We do not belong to any political party, we are not against any political group, all we want is to be able to eat", said Leocadio Martín, who pointed out that taxi drivers are earning about 40 euros a day for "10 hours of work". "We don't even have enough to pay for diesel. If we recovered only 30 percent of what the intruders take from us, of what they are stealing from us, we would be much calmer".
