The fine to which the driver or ‘sensor’ is exposed is for the illegal practice of transporting without authorization and amounts to 4,001 euros
The Local Police of Murcia investigated during the first three months of the year about 40 people for working as taxi drivers without the required license or for trying to attract travelers to be transported in private vehicles, according to municipal sources. Of the investigations carried out this 2022 regarding this type of practice, quite widespread in the last ten years, a total of five led to complaints.
From Murcia Local Police explained that these actions, in addition to being illegal, represent unfair competition for drivers who do have authorization to transport passengers through the municipality, by setting a lower price per race. To avoid the presence of this type of vehicle, known in street jargon as ‘pirate taxis’, the Special Group for Citizen Security of the Local Police maintains daily surveillance in the vicinity of three ‘hot spots’ in Murcia.
Specifically, these spaces are the San Andrés bus station; the International Airport of the Region of Murcia, in the district of Corvera, and the Immigration Office, in Cabezo Cortado. The sanctions for this type of practice are established in Law 10/2014, of November 27, regulating the public transport of people in tourist vehicles by taxi of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia.
This rule includes two basic infractions: on the one hand, the one committed by the ‘setter’ or person who, in the vicinity of the place, is dedicated to getting clients; and, on the other, that of the person who carries out the activity of transporting people, that is, the driver. The latter do not usually park at the door of the establishments, but rather a few hundred meters away to avoid being seen. The surveillance work by the agents requires discretion, so the troops are not uniformed.
MORE THAN 4,000 EUROS OF FINE
Once the ‘pirate taxi’ is under way, uniformed agents come out in its path. When the car is stopped, the police officers interview the clients and the driver separately in order to check whether, as is assumed, there is not a relationship of friendship or familiarity between them. In the event that there is not, the user or users are given the possibility of being transferred to their place of reference in an official taxi, always at the offender’s expense.
For its part, the vehicle under investigation is immobilized and transferred by a crane -at a cost for the driver of 98 euros- to the deposit, where the stay costs 14.87 euros per day. However, the largest fine that the driver or ‘sensor’ will have to face is the result of the illegal practice of transporting without authorization, since the minimum amount amounts, according to regional legislation, to 4,001 euros.
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