Tax drivers stall traffic in Madrid amid standoff over ride-hailing services

Spanish police are clearing away taxis that are blocking the main avenue in the capital of Madrid, the latest action in a weeklong standoff with authorities over the growth of app-based ride-hailing services that taxi drivers say threaten their livelihood. The striking Spanish taxi drivers want the regional government in Madrid to impose tighter regulations for rides hailed through apps like Uber and Cabify.

They demand similar steps like those announced for Barcelona, where local authorities can now modify regulations to require app-based rides to be hired up to one hour in advance. Madrid authorities have rejected any compromises that would wipe out the competition for the taxis, which are regulated as a public service. Cab drivers responded Monday by moving their protest from the capital's outskirts to Castellana Avenue, in Madrid's central north-south axis.