Airport Taxi Drivers Demand Round-the-Clock Police Checks Amid VTC Dispute

Taxi drivers at Alicante-Elche Airport are demanding a permanent, 24-hour Local Police presence after a weekend confrontation over private-hire vehicles operating at the terminal.

Radio Taxi Elche says vehicles with VTC licences issued elsewhere in Spain have been picking up passengers for journeys to destinations including Torrevieja and Benidorm without the authorisation required to provide those services locally. However, those claims have not been independently established, and the licensing status of individual vehicles would need to be checked by the authorities.

The dispute came to a head at the weekend when taxi drivers challenged several attempted pick-ups. According to the association, around 150 taxis stopped working at the airport rank while drivers waited for officers to examine the vehicles’ paperwork, causing some disruption to passengers.

Taxi representatives say National Police and Guardia Civil officers arrived first, but Local Police officers were needed to carry out the relevant transport checks. They claim the wait lasted between one and two hours. By the time officers arrive at some incidents, Radio Taxi Elche president José Javier López said, the journey being reported has already taken place.

The association also alleges that drivers were insulted, threatened and filmed during confrontations. In a separate account of Saturday night’s events, Radio Taxi Elche told local broadcaster TeleElx that people it accused of operating an illegal transport service had obstructed taxis trying to reach the rank.

Taxi drivers want specialist officers stationed at the airport around the clock to inspect permits and respond immediately to complaints. They say the problem has grown during the summer and warn that further protests are possible if no agreement is reached with Elche Town Hall.

The council disputes the suggestion that the airport has been left without supervision. Municipal sources say an Urban Mobility unit attends every day, in the morning and afternoon, alongside Local Police patrols. They add that a team carries out transport inspections in coordination with Spain’s Directorate General of Traffic.

Taxi representatives argue that this arrangement falls short, particularly during busy periods and at night. They say mobility staff can help manage traffic but cannot replace officers authorised to inspect transport documents and issue certain penalties.

Their concerns extend beyond the dispute with VTC operators. López says private cars waiting along the roads near the terminal can cause queues that obstruct taxis trying to enter. Drivers also allege that unlicensed individuals approach newly arrived passengers inside the airport and seek out lucrative longer journeys.

Radio Taxi Elche and Servitaxi Elche are the airport’s two official taxi operators, according to airport operator Aena. Taxi drivers say they have begun recording vehicle registration numbers and gathering evidence themselves, but insist that enforcing transport rules should be the responsibility of the authorities.

“We don’t want to have to act as police officers,” the association says. It is seeking talks with the council on a more permanent enforcement arrangement.

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