The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is investigating possible price increases for VTCs since the blackout.

BarcelonaAfter Monday's massive power outage, things are starting to fall back into place, including transportation. Some of the main VTC (ride-hailing vehicle) companies, such as Cabify, stopped operating all day Monday and Tuesday again, until power was restored everywhere. However, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs warns that an information file has been opened to investigate potential VTC price increases "reported by users in those autonomous communities that declared a national emergency" or another type of civil protection emergency, "a practice that is prohibited by current regulations," according to the ministry headed by Pablo Bustin.

The Spanish government, at the request of the Minister of Consumer Affairs, approved, following the DANA in the Valencian Country, a regulatory change to establish that companies that use personalized dynamic pricing cannot raise prices as a result of increased demand in a context of urgency, risk, or need for the consumer, for as long as the declaration remains in effect.

Thus, in those communities where a state of emergency of national interest or another type of civil protection emergency was declared, the price increase motivated by the increase in demand in personalized pricing systems "would constitute a serious violation of consumer regulations, with sanctions of up to 100,000 euros from 100,000 euros or up to 100,000 euros or up to 100,000 euros Consumption.