New Uber licences in the Canary Islands put on hold for another year
The Canarian Parliament has agreed to extend the suspension on issuing new licences for Uber, Cabify, and other VTC (vehicle with driver) services for another year.
The move follows a 2023 ruling from the European Court of Justice that scrapped the long-standing rule of allowing only one VTC licence for every 30 taxis.
Instead, new guidelines will focus on environmental sustainability and traffic conditions, with each island’s Cabildo responsible for deciding how many licences can be granted and under what criteria.
There are currently around 9,000 applications for VTC licences waiting to be processed in the Canary Islands. However, under the new law, the decision to issue them will be left to each island’s Cabildo, which will decide the rules based on local conditions.
The change updates a transport law originally passed in 2007 and follows an emergency decree issued last year to bring regional regulations in line with EU law. Many lawmakers agree that a completely new transport law is needed in the near future.
Not all parties supported the move. Vox’s Paula Jover criticised the law as being based on a “climate religion,” while Esther González from Nueva Canarias warned that the focus on environmental concerns could come at the cost of users’ freedom to choose how they travel.
Meanwhile, Socialist Party deputy Marcos Bergaz called for progress over the next year to avoid further delays and ensure the region is ready to manage VTC services more effectively.
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