Should Lanzarote’s Taxis Work Together?

Lanzarote’s Cabildo has invited all the municipalities and taxi firms on the island to assess what went wrong with a proposed agreement that was intended to allow free operation of taxis over the Christmas period.

The agreement to “insularize” taxi services, allowing cabs from all over the island to operate freely at times of high demand, failed to come into effect, causing the kinds of queues and taxi shortages that are becoming an increasing cause of complaint on the island.

On Lanzarote, taxi services are governed by the seven local councils, and each municipal taxi rank has priority within its own municipality. For example, San Bartolomé cabbies have priority at the airport, while Arrecife drivers will get first pick of the cruise tourists that disembark at Puerto Naos and Puerto de los Mármoles.

If crowds build up and more taxis are required, then specific rules exist that dictate whether taxis from other areas can operate. That’s why people waiting at the airport may see taxis from outside San Bartolomé waiting for a queue to build up to a certain level before they can pick up.

This arrangement has survived for several years but is receiving more and more criticism all the time. Not only is it confusing for passengers, but it has also been criticised as environmentally unfriendly, as a taxi that takes a fare outside its municipality is generally prevented from picking up another when returning.

Another problem is the shortage of taxis at times of high demand. Long queues are now standard in the evenings at Playa Blanca, while Arrecife residents have recently complained that there are no taxis available for local residents when cruise ships arrive. Last month a furious woman staged a sit-down protest in traffic after waiting fruitlessly for a taxi for over 45 minutes.

The Cabildo’s Transport Councillor, Domingo Cejas, has said that the island government will continue to work towards the idea of universal pick-ups, and plans to introduce free operation rules during next month’s carnival celebrations.

Although Uber started to operate in Tenerife’s southern resorts two years ago, there are currently no plans to extend ride-sharing platforms to other islands.