Council investigates 46 cases involving Palma cabbies

The Palma city council opened investigations into 46 cases involving the taxi service last year. Twelve of the cases involved owners whose cabs had not passed the obligatory revision. Investigations ended in six fines ranging from 150'000 to 200'000 pesetas. Most of the other cases involved complaints by users of the service. Many of the complaints were because a driver refused a fare or charged too much. Various cases are still under investigation. Others have been closed through lack of evidence or ended with a fine for the driver in question. In one case, a driver faces two fines of 75'000 and 100'000 pesetas for overcharging and for insulting the passenger. The case is now pending a legal review. The heaviest fine imposed last year was 300'000 pesetas for a driver who refused to carry a fare. Yet another case involves a driver who refused to give an official receipt and faces a fine of 30'000 pesetas. A cabbie also faces a 30'000 pesetas fine if he leaves his taxi unattended, or gives a receipt without completing all the necessary details. In some cases, the complaints have been filed by fellow-cabbies. The most frequent complaints are about drivers who do not respect the obligatory days off, or pick up fares without respecting order of arrival at ranks. But it is not just taxi drivers who face investigation by the Palma city council. The council is also looking into the cases of horse drawn carriage owners for offences such as using a rope instead of a regulatory harness on the horse, for having unshod horses or for not having the animal's health documents in order.