Bicitaxi operators “attacked” by taxi drivers in the Playa de Palma

The “war” between taxi drivers and the so-called “bicitaxis” in Playa de Palma has seemingly become more intense. Workers with the Mallorca Rickshaw company which operates these pedal-driven cabs have reported alleged assaults by taxi drivers.
Last Thursday, one employee was apparently approached by four men who intimated that they were potential customers but then apparently said that they were taxi drivers.
A fifth man then came from behind the employee and apparently headbutted him. Insults and threats were issued.  The bicitaxi operator was “stealing” business from the taxi drivers.
In a separate incident on Thursday night, an operator who was pedalling customers near MegaPark encountered several taxi drivers who left their cars, threatened and insulted him - calling him a “pirate who was taking away their jobs” - and tried to tip the cab up with the tourists still inside it.
Mallorca Rickshaw says that the service it provides is not that of a “bicitaxi” but of a “bicitour”, i.e. it is one to offer customers a good time and not some form of transport service. Its cabs are hired according to time and not on the basis of moving customers from A to B, as is the case with taxi drivers.
It also says, contradicting charges made by taxi drivers, that it doesn’t go looking for drunk tourists. The purpose of its service is to take customers on a tour; drunk tourists would fall asleep.
The company stresses that its documentation is in order, including insurance. “Everything conforms with legislation,” its spokesperson says.
Moreover, the main company, based in Barcelona, has been providing the same service for ten years in that city without there having been any problems.
Following a meeting between taxi driver representatives and the Balearic Confederation of Business Associations, there is to be a protest on 2 June to demand regulation of the “bicitaxis”.
It will be in the form of a convoy of taxis that will pass through Playa de Palma and end up at the headquarters of the local police where a written demand for regulation will be handed in.
The taxi drivers are unhappy with what it believes to be a failure by the council in Palma to adopt appropriate regulation and say that the council must take responsibility for the safety of passengers in these pedal cabs and for the proper display of tariffs in order to prevent abuses. As an example, the taxi drivers say that for a journey of one kilometre between two Balneario beach bars along the Playa de Palma frontline, the average cost of a taxi is under four euros. A “bicitaxi” with three passengers would charge 15 euros - five euros per passenger.