Barcelona’s Metropolitan Taxi Institute (IMET), the body that regulates taxis and related passenger transport across the metropolitan area, will provisionally allow two additional Vehicles for Hire with Driver (VTCs) to operate urban services after court rulings, according to IMET information reported by El Periódico on Thursday.

The vehicles will not be able to begin operating solely on the basis of the rulings. The companies must first provide documentation for the vehicles attached to each authorisation and show that they meet all legal requirements. For passengers, the decision does not immediately add two bookable vehicles to Barcelona’s ride-hailing market.

IMET had previously rejected the two applications. The court decisions require the authorisations to be granted on a provisional basis, although the cases remain subject to appeal.

Permits could last for up to four years

Each authorisation will initially be valid for a maximum of two years. IMET may extend it for a further two years if the required conditions continue to be met and the court rulings supporting the permits remain in force.

  • Initial validity: up to two years.
  • Possible extension: a further two years.
  • Maximum potential period: up to four years.

The rulings are not final. They have been appealed to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), Catalonia’s highest regional court, and the provisional authorisations could be withdrawn if that court overturns the decisions.

Taxi groups raise concerns over pending cases

Élite Taxi said the cases could set a precedent for other applications that IMET has rejected and which are still before the courts. The group said it could not put a figure on how many pending cases might eventually receive similar treatment.

The disputes follow Decree-Law 9/2022, which tightened the rules for VTCs providing urban journeys in Catalonia. Rejected applications have since generated court cases over whether the restrictions can be applied to individual operators.

The decision also arrives while a proposed Catalan taxi law is still being considered by Parliament. Élite Taxi has called for platform companies to be limited to controlling 25% of licences, for dynamic pricing to be banned and for stronger VTC oversight.

Passengers seeking a ride should check the availability and fare shown by the taxi or VTC service they choose, as these two provisional authorisations will take effect only after IMET receives the required vehicle documentation.

Reported by El Periódico Barcelona.