The "battle" between taxi drivers and those they call pirates, the drivers of minibuses, has reached fever pitch at Palma airport with insults and blows being traded between both sides. With the busy summer season just beginning there are fears that "all out war" could break out between both sides at a time when there is a severe shortage of taxis.
In the blue corner are the Palma taxi drivers; in the red corner are drivers of minibuses, some of whom work for big transport companies and have been picking up passengers at Palma airport. The taxi drivers say they are acting illegally while the minibus drivers say that they are within the law and the cabbies should mind their own business.
This week there have been a series of incidents between drivers with extra police being sent to the airport. The Balearic government is under growing pressure to resolve the taxi driver dispute.