Alex Trelinski
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A PIRATE taxi service hit serious trouble on the Costa Blanca on Sunday as police in Javea pulled over the same vehicle within hours with three different people behind the wheel.
Three men aged between 30 and 60 have been denounced for using a private Peugeot car as an unlicensed cab to ferry people to and from leisure venues around the municipality.
The motorists- of undisclosed nationalities- were stopped during routine police traffic checks.
Each of the pirate taxi drivers faces a fine of up to €4,000 for their transgressions.
Javea’s Mobility Councillor, Juan Ortola, said: “We fully support the professional taxi sector and we will take action against any irregularities we come across.”
Unlicensed services put passengers at serious risk if there is an accident because there will be no insurance cover in case of injury.
Another issue is unfair competition where illegal operators undercut prices on regulated tariffs provided by official taxis who are fully insured and pay for their licenses.
A major issue over the years in Alicante Province have been illegal taxis doing airport runs but police have been far stricter in recent times to catch pirate drivers following complaints from taxi associations.
READ MORE:
- Blitz on pirate taxis operating at Costa Blanca airport in Spain
- Three ‘pirate taxis’ confiscated from illicit drivers at Alicante-Elche Airport
- Illegal taxi and minibus services are putting everyone in danger, warns Costa del Sol lawyer
