There are five associations which represent taxi drivers in Majorca. Four of them have now signed the agreement with the transport ministry regarding new bus services. One of the five has not.
Antoni Bauzá of the AEAB association with the Balearic Confederation of Business Associations (CAEB) had previously queried the contents of the agreement document - he made a call for all taxi drivers to vote on it. He has now rejected it.
The AEAB accounts for roughly a quarter of Majorca's 1,980 taxis. Bauzá, who attended the meeting at the ministry on Thursday when the other four representatives signed, said that the agreement does not meet the requirements of his members. It limits the capacity to challenge any future issue to do with transport planning, while the document received by the CAEB, he maintained, had nothing to do with the one presented on Thursday. He reiterated that his association is not in favour of public transport services from the airport to tourist resorts.
There is to be a general assembly of AEAB taxi drivers on 29 March. Decisions will be taken as to what actions they might take. As agreement was reached to call off actions up to and including Easter, any new ones would be scheduled for after Easter.
Biel Moragues of the ASATM association said that the agreement had involved "a long and painful birth" but he was satisfied that impediments to the signing had been resolved. He considered that the changes offer a number of benefits to his members. He respected the decision of the AEAB association, adding that it couldn't blame his association or others.
Transport minister Marc Pons was positive, despite the AEAB not having signed. He said that negotiations were complex. Their outcome has involved introducing proposals from the taxi drivers which, together with government commitments, will result in improved public transport.
As well as the changes that have been made to the bus services, the agreement covered issues such as financial assistance for taxi modernisation, the reduction of pollutants and language training.