If you just landed on this article you are probably looking for a simple answer to the question “Is there Uber in Barcelona?”. But the truth is that it is a more complex question than it might seem due to the controversy generated throughout the last years as a consequence of the fact that Uber would be coexisting (and competing) with the Barcelona taxis.

So at the moment we are writing this article, we would answer “They are trying to operate, but still, the service is not available”, after being out of service for two years due to the application of new regulations. New regulations as a result of the conflict confronting Uber vs. the city taxi drivers, which held a taxi driver’s license. Keep reading to know more about the controversy which still seems to be on.

Is there Uber in Barcelona?

On March 16, 2021 Uber got permission to operate again in Barcelona after a two-years absence. But it is still not operating in Barcelona actually. Here is a brief explanation of what happened:

In January 2019, both Uber and Cabify suspended their services as a consequence of a new regulation from the Government which was incompatible with their business. This new regulation included the following conditions:

• Passengers should pre-book the service 15 minutes in advance (at least).
• After completing a journey, vehicles should return immediately to the base.
• On-street parking was forbidden for the company vehicles.

That was the result of many strikes organised by taxi drivers in Barcelona, who demanded new regulations of the sector, given the conflict of interests.

Uber in Barcelona: the 3rd try 

This is actually the 3rd try for Uber to establish their services in Barcelona operating as private transport between individuals (UberPop). The company first landed in the city in 2014, but at the end of the year they were forced to suspend the service due to the conflict generated. The intense protests of the taxi sector, the administration’s intentions of regulating the activity and a court ruling against Uber model were enough reasons for Uber to suspend their services in the city. 

 But Uber was back in 2018, with a VTC model (UberX): freelance drivers and an external fleet of vehicles. Taxi drivers didn’t hesitate to organize movilizations again until Uber had to suspend the business until January 2019.

So this is the 3rd time for Uber. Will it be the last one? A hint: the taxi sector has already started to mobilize against Uber (and also Cabify). So it looks like the conflict is not coming to a definitive end in the short therm.

The conflict: Uber (VTC) vs Barcelona taxi drivers

Why is it a controversial issue for Barcelona taxi driver’s that Uber enters the market? It is basically a matter of “licenses”. Getting a taxi license in order to be able to drive this vehicle has a high cost, and the licenses offered to the VTC (Vehicle de Transport amb Conductor / Vehicle of Transport with Driver) were many and cheaper, compared to the taxi driver’s licenses.

So what is the new scenario now?

Uber is trying to operate in Barcelona as taxi services (instead of VTC), with a closed price system (under Tariff 3) and with the permission from the Transport Unit of the Area Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) for third-party apps to be able to use Uber’s vehicles. But even with this new scenario, we don’t clearly see the conflict coming to an end…

Public transport in Barcelona works really well. But if you are in a rush or maybe it is late at night and you prefer to take a taxi, Barcelona taxis is the option you have at the moment.

Also, if you want to get info about transport in Barcelona, you can check out the specific section in the website, Transport.