Fuerteventura taxi drivers’ association calls for taxi shifts to be enforced and more than 300 cases resolved in Puerto del Rosario

The Fuerteventura Self-Employed Taxi Drivers’ Association (ATFUERT) has called on Puerto del Rosario Town Council to speed up the processing and resolution of more than 300 cases relating to alleged breaches of the municipal taxi bylaw, accumulated since April 2026.

In a press release dated 26 October, the organisation alleges that the cases mainly concern possible breaches of compulsory shifts, connection to the municipal coordination system and the conditions under which the service is provided.

The association says Puerto del Rosario has 99 taxi licences and maintains that a significant number of the cases repeatedly concern certain licences.

ATFUERT believes the Town Council needs to act diligently to ensure compliance with the requirements and prevent unequal treatment among professionals in the sector.

Calls for shifts to be observed in the capital, at the port and at the airport

The association notes that taxi services are in the public interest and that observing the established shifts is essential to ensure adequate coverage in Puerto del Rosario’s urban centre, at the port and at Fuerteventura Airport.

It warns that professionals who follow the rules should not be disadvantaged compared with those who may breach them.

The association also believes it is important for sector associations and cooperatives to inform their members about the compulsory shifts and the possible consequences of failing to observe them.

ATFUERT bases its calls on Law 13/2007 on the Regulation of Road Transport in the Canary Islands, which governs, among other matters, the conditions for operating licences and the organisation of the service.

€200,000 investment in the municipal coordination system

The organisation says that, according to its figures, Puerto del Rosario Town Council has allocated €200,000 to the municipal taxi coordination centre.

ATFUERT believes the effectiveness of this public investment depends both on the system working properly and on licence holders meeting their obligations.

It therefore considers it essential to monitor the system’s use and ensure that all professionals are subject to the same conditions.

The association also wants to know the status of the cases and proposes that the Town Council publish anonymised statistical reports to track their progress, while fully respecting personal data protection.

Calls for cases to be resolved without undermining the presumption of innocence

ATFUERT stresses that its call is not intended to prejudge any professional or challenge the right of those affected to defend themselves.

The association notes that any disciplinary proceedings must be based on sufficient evidence and respect legal safeguards, including the presumption of innocence.

In this connection, it cites Constitutional Court judgment 76/1990 on the safeguards that must be observed when the Administration exercises its power to impose penalties.

It also refers to Law 39/2015, which requires the administration to resolve proceedings and sets out the consequences of failing to do so within the prescribed time limits.

The association warns that cases should not be left unresolved and allowed to run up against statutory time limits for their expiry.

Equal treatment for all professionals

The Fuerteventura Self-Employed Taxi Drivers’ Association sums up its demands in four principles: legality, diligence, transparency and equal treatment.

It wants each of the more than 300 cases to be examined individually, on the basis of the relevant evidence and within the time limits set by law.

“Penalties must not be imposed without evidence, and substantiated breaches must not go unanswered,” the organisation says in its press release.

ATFUERT stresses that the same rules must apply to all licence holders, without favouritism or unfair disparities, and calls for effective municipal administration that protects professionals’ rights while ensuring the proper provision of the public taxi service in Puerto del Rosario.

So far, the press release contains no response from Puerto del Rosario Town Council to these demands and gives no details of the administrative status of the cases mentioned.