A row over taxi services has erupted on Gibraltar’s newly opened frontier after two local cab drivers were accused of physically blocking a Spanish taxi from operating on the Rock.
The incident has prompted Gibraltar’s government to take action, announcing that transport inspectors will now be stationed at the border to monitor taxi movements and penalise any Spanish taxi found operating without the required authorisation.
The dispute has exposed a major gap in the landmark UK-EU agreement that paved the way for the removal of checks at the Gibraltar border.
While the deal allows the freer movement of people, private vehicles and goods under the Schengen framework, it does not include any provisions allowing taxis from either side of the border to operate commercially in the neighbouring territory.
Instead, the agreement’s transport section focuses almost entirely on freight transport and cross-border ambulance services, with no mention of urban passenger transport.
As a result, taxi licences issued in Gibraltar are not recognised in Spain, while licences granted by La Línea or other Spanish authorities are equally invalid once a vehicle crosses onto the Rock.
In practical terms, this means Spanish taxis cannot legally pick up passengers or seek fares in Gibraltar without a local licence, while Gibraltar taxis face the same restrictions in Spain because they lack the necessary Spanish transport authorisations.
Officials say any taxi found operating illegally could face fines or even have its vehicle impounded.
The restrictions remain despite the wider easing of border controls and are likely to come as a surprise to many travellers expecting seamless transport following the historic agreement.
The situation means passengers travelling between Gibraltar and Spain must generally continue changing vehicles at the frontier if using conventional taxis, often dragging luggage across the border before catching another cab on the other side.
The rules are particularly inconvenient for those travelling to destinations such as Malaga Airport, one of the most common routes used by Gibraltar residents and visitors.
At present, the only commercial passenger services able to operate uninterrupted across the border are licensed private transfer and chauffeur companies operating under international transport rules.
Because these journeys are pre-booked and carried out under specific cross-border contracts, they can legally collect passengers in Gibraltar and drive directly to destinations in Spain, or vice versa.
The latest dispute comes just days after Gibraltar and Spain began implementing the first phase of their long-awaited post-Brexit border agreement, ending years of uncertainty over movement between the Rock and the neighbouring Campo de Gibraltar.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
