Tito Álvarez, the public face of the taxi drivers' struggle in recent years, is returning to Barcelona to ensure the passage of the new law regulating the sector. This is supposedly the final chapter in his ongoing battle with platforms like Uber and Cabify, following his decision to move to Venezuela, where he has purchased a house on Margarita Island. Two days before the law reaches the Catalan Parliament, the spokesperson for Élite Taxi has proposed allowing ride-hailing vehicle owners to exchange their licenses for a temporary taxi license. According to Álvarez, this measure will ensure that "no one is excluded" and that there are enough taxis to meet demand, especially during peak times like weekend nights when taxis are hardest to find. "It's the solution. It provides legal certainty for women, and no one will lose their job. It will also professionalize the sector by eliminating unfair competition and the dynamic pricing used by the platforms," ​​Álvarez argues regarding this new proposal, which addresses some of the criticisms raised by the platforms. The association, the most representative in the Barcelona metropolitan area, proposes including an amendment to the law so that VTC license holders can apply for a municipal taxi license, valid for seven years with an optional extension. These licenses would not cost the same as current taxi licenses, which are around €160,000. Alternatively, VTC owners could become "high-availability vehicles," a new category being considered for services booked at least two hours in advance and lasting at least one hour, which would operate like traditional VTCs.

From early Tuesday morning, hundreds of taxis occupied Gran Via and Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, ​​in a new strike that failed to convince the entire sector. The action, called by Élite Taxi, was the first warning issued by taxi drivers in defense of the future taxi law. currently undergoing parliamentary processingIn the face of pressure to back down from platforms like Uber, the association's spokesperson, Tito Álvarez, led the taxi drivers' demonstration towards Foment del Treball, jokingly changing the employers' association's name to "Foment del Treball Precario" (Promotion of Precarious Work). With around 500 taxis parked on one of the city's main thoroughfares, according to the Guardia Urbana (Barcelona's municipal police), the protesters gathered in front of the association's headquarters to criticize its support for ride-hailing platforms. "We are the people at the bottom fighting against those at the top. They will not silence us, and we will not be immobilized by the Uber mafia," said Álvarez, to the rhythm of firecrackers exploding along Via Laietana, a protest against "the financial vultures."

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.