Córdoba taxi drivers against Uber: excuses, violence, and the fear of free competition

Uber regulation triggered new episodes of violence in Córdoba, where taxi drivers once again justified assaults with legal arguments. During the discussion of the project in the City Council, taxi drivers and digital platform drivers clashed in public. Tension escalated to the point that an Uber driver was attacked with hot water, according to public reports.

Jorge Montes, a representative of taxi permit holders, openly criticized the quota proposed by the municipality, which he described as "completely harmful." This quota limits the activity to one app driver per 375 inhabitants, which would exclude about 11,000 workers from the system. The taxi drivers' own complaint confirms that this regulation harms even those who try to stop competition through aggression.

"What have we done to ourselves, the 15,000 families who have been unemployed for six years?" Montes asked, acknowledging the effects of the change in the system. Instead of adapting to the new scenario, he once again targeted what he calls "illegal apps," resorting to the usual rhetoric. The claim is supposedly in defense of jobs, but it is exercised by repressing those who offer a more affordable and efficient service.

Refusal to compete, violence, and bureaucracy

The taxi drivers' union stated that the protest was "peaceful," despite the incidents that occurred in broad daylight. Claudio López, one of its spokespeople, claimed that the bureaucratic system harms his colleagues and demands more from them than from Uber. In that context, he justified the protest, although he acknowledged that "the hot water incident created tension."

The "illegality" argument is no longer enough to cover up the refusal to compete under market conditions and without municipal privileges. The same people who report the existence of 15,000 families without income oppose the regularization of platforms that are currently winning the market. The defense of the traditional taxi model is not based on offering a better service, but on preventing the growth of more in-demand alternatives.

Meanwhile, thousands of Córdoba residents choose to use apps every day for lower costs and availability, while the traditional sector responds with bullying. Far from showing openness or offering better proposals, some union leaders cling to speeches that no longer convince anyone. The scene witnessed this week shows that the real threat is not Uber, but the fear of losing benefits guaranteed by decree.