Uber services suspended in Barcelona
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EPA
Spanish taxi drivers have protested against ride-sharing services in Barcelona and Madrid
Ride-hailing company Uber says it has suspended its services in the Spanish city of Barcelona because of new regulations.
The decision comes after the Catalan government insisted on imposing a 15-minute delay before passengers could be picked up.
Uber has been the target of protests by taxi drivers in Barcelona who say their business is being undermined.
A rival service, Spain’s Cabify, has followed Uber’s example.
Uber said the new restrictions left it with “no choice” but to suspend its services “while we assess our future in Barcelona”.
Cabify, which has one million users in Barcelona, said the city had “given in to the demands of the taxi sector, seriously hurting citizens’ interests”.
It said the move would put 3,000 jobs at risk in the city.
In July last year, Spanish taxi drivers began public protests in Barcelona and Madrid.
The drivers are still on strike in the Spanish capital, but Madrid authorities have said they will not adopt the same restrictions as in Barcelona.
