Uber, Cabify stop services in Barcelona due to tighter laws

People walk between taxis blocking Gran Via street with their cars during a strike against the VTC regulation, in Barcelona, Spain, January 19, 2019. (Reuters)

BARCELONA: Ride-hailing companies Uber and Cabify said they will stop operating in Barcelona after the regional government in northeastern Spain passed tighter regulations.
Uber said in a statement Thursday that the law requiring users of the ride-hailing apps to contract services 15 minutes beforehand was “totally incompatible with the immediacy of on-demand services.”
The regional government of Catalonia is imposing the restriction after taxi drivers went on strike for several days in Barcelona. The protest included taxi drivers blocking a major boulevard and trashing cars used by ride-hailing companies.
Cabify said that it is disappointed that authorities “gave in to the pressure and demands of the taxi sector.”
Taxi drivers are striking in Madrid for similar restrictions on ride-hailing services.