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Gibraltar cracks down on Spanish taxis after border opens
Ten drivers have now been fined as Gibraltar tightens the rules on cross-border passenger services
The removal of Gibraltar’s border fence has made crossing between Spain and the Rock easier, but it hasn’t changed the rules for taxi drivers.Ten Spanish taxi drivers have recently been fined for carrying passengers in Gibraltar without the required licence, according to the Gibraltar Government.
The crackdown comes as authorities make clear that opening up the border does not mean Spanish taxis can simply continue their journeys into Gibraltar and pick up or drop off passengers there.
Gibraltar’s rules state that only vehicles authorised by its Transport Commission can provide passenger services for payment on the Rock. Foreign-registered taxis and private hire vehicles are not authorised to do so.
The issue became clear within days of the border changes, when the first Spanish taxi driver was handed a £300 fixed penalty for operating without a Gibraltar Transport Commission licence.
The driver had been stopped on Devil's Tower Road and informed of the offence. At the time, Gibraltar also warned that vehicles could be confiscated or removed from the territory where necessary.
The latest figures show that enforcement has continued. Gibraltar says its transport inspectors and the Royal Gibraltar Police have been carrying out checks and monitoring activity around the border.
The rules also affect people using ride-hailing services. Uber is not permitted to make cross-border journeys into Gibraltar, meaning passengers travelling from Spain cannot use the service to go directly across the border.
Instead, passengers must cross on foot and then use an authorised Gibraltar taxi or the Gibraltar bus service once they are on the Rock.
This is an important distinction following the historic agreement between the EU and the UK, which removed the physical border barrier but does not cover cross-border services.
Gibraltar's Government says the Treaty is "very clear" on this point and that the restrictions will apply to all services, not just taxis.
Authorities have also warned that border controls and surveillance will continue. Members of the public and authorised drivers are being encouraged to report suspected illegal activity to the Royal Gibraltar Police or the Ministry of Transport.
For Spanish residents and visitors who have become accustomed to the much easier border crossing, the message is fairly simple: you can cross the border, but that doesn't mean every service can cross with you.
Image: Efrem Efre/Pexels
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