The law prioritizing taxis over chauffeur-driven vehicles (VTC) begins its process in Parliament. The PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Junts (Juntos), ERC (Electrical Workers' Party), Comuns (Comuns), and the CUP (Cup) registered the bill this Thursday with the intention of it coming into force next year. The text's objective is to regulate the sector and establish functions for each type of service: taxis, VTCs (Vehicles with Chauffeurs), limousines, and high-disposal vehicles (HDVs), a new type similar to VTCs.

The executive president of Unauto – the VTC employers' association –, José Manuel Berzal, has stated that they intend to take the Generalitat's taxi bill, known this Tuesday, to court, and that could mean the gradual disappearance of this type of vehicle in Catalonia. The sector, he said, "will not allow itself to be killed," during a meeting with journalists alongside José María Cazallas, the organizing secretary of the Free Trade Union of Workers (SLT). Both entities have unveiled their alternative proposal, which proposes sustainable and mobility measures.

The draft of the new taxi law, which the Generalitat will present this Wednesday to the Taxi Council and must be submitted to Parliament next week, provides for the elimination of the thousand or so urban VTCs currently operating in the Barcelona metropolitan area as their licenses expire, and the creation of a new category of VTCs called "high two-hour" and a service duration of at least one hour. The Generalitat estimates that 600 urban licenses will expire with the law's entry into force, although the intention is to make a "smooth transition," and another 300 will be able to continue operating for a while longer, in compliance with court rulings, until they also expire. The new text also includes a data platform that will use geolocation to monitor taxis and VTCs for irregularities.

In a Barcelona where the battle between taxis and VTCs continues to be won by the former, a new chapter opens with the acquisition of FreeNow, the most widely used mobile app for hailing taxis in the city. It has been acquired by the American company Lyft, Uber's main rival in its home market. The deal was announced in mid-April and only closed a week ago. These months have been dedicated to complying with all the legal requirements to operate in the 180 European cities where FreeNow is present, with 150,000 taxi drivers. Aside from Spain, its app can be downloaded in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, France, and Austria.

Uber, the ride-hailing platform (VTC), continues to support Barcelona and, despite the imminent approval of the new Catalan taxi and VTC regulations, assures the media that it has no intention of leaving: "We are here to stay." The company stated this at a meeting with the media on Tuesday, a message it ratified with the announcement of the launch of Uber Green, its 100% electric car service, in the Catalan capital.

After 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.

Change of hands in the on-demand taxi and VTC platform sector. Lyft, one of the leading US platforms and Uber's main competitor in the United States, announced this Wednesday the definitive agreement for the acquisition of Freenow, one of the largest mobility applications in Europe. The purchase price will be €175 million in cash. The agreement aims to increase gross bookings to €1 billion annually, diversifying revenue sources and supporting the company's multi-year objectives. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025.

Vehicles for hire will be able to continue making urban routes, but only if their vehicle is over 4.9 metres long – usually a feature of high-end cars, a vehicle is linked to the license and they have been providing the service for the last year, among other requirements.