The city of Torrevieja has put out a bid for eight taxi permits. The procedure began after the last round of bidding, which took place during the Christmas holidays, didn’t get any bids, even though there was a lot of interest in these licences.
Most of the people who are interested in this process are long-time workers in the field who didn’t know about the announcement. This time, the City Council didn’t post a video reel or Instagram story on their social media to promote the licence expansion. Sources say that the PP-led government team finished another process months ago, giving out eight of the 16 permits it had promised.
Over one hundred licences
Ride-hailing services like Uber and Cabify are not officially available in Torrevieja, which has more than 110,000 people living there. Torrevieja’s taxi fleet will grow to more than 100 vehicles thanks to this new programme. For years, it has been stuck at around 85. There is always a need for taxis, although it is most during Holy Week and the summer months of June, July, August, and September. The industry has adopted new technology to cut costs, and it offers an automated call service that hasn’t satisfied users, even though it is backed up by live operators.
This is when long lines form at certain points in the city centre for people to get a cab. Often, a taxi licence is associated with two or three employees.
What you’ll need
Some of the requirements in the job advertisement are hard to meet if you don’t know about them ahead of time. All of the jobs are for Eurotaxi vehicles, which means they are made to be accessible to persons who have trouble moving about. The vehicle must be expressly intended to carry persons with limited mobility, allowing them to ride in their own wheelchairs, usually through a ramp and a specially created space, making it accessible to everyone.
You can only submit bids electronically through the Public Sector Procurement platform. This is another difficulty with the call for tenders because it expects applicants to know as much about public procurement procedures as enterprises that supply services, works, and supplies to public authorities.
Delivery
The time to apply is thirty days from the day this announcement was made public, which was this week. Bidders must send in two separate digital files: one with the administrative paperwork and the other with the quantitative merits. You must be a Spanish citizen or have a valid work permit. You need a driving licence and at least one year of driving experience. You also have to complete competency exams. You need to have a clean criminal record with no significant crimes. The car must be registered in Torrevieja or one of the nearby towns, and it must have liability insurance that covers one million euros.
Checking out offers
The evaluation of ideas is worth 100 points. Up to 50 points can come from professional experience as a paid or volunteer driver, with two points given for each year of full-time work. One of the most criticised requirements is that you have to promise to use electric cars. This gives you twenty points. Ten points go to hybrids. The age of the car is worth up to 20 points. Newer cars get the most points, but cars that are up to four years old will also be accepted. Five points are given for taking courses on disability services. Knowing how to speak other languages earns extra five points.
When bids are tied, lowering the gender gap is one of the top priorities, along with other issues including violence against women and people with disabilities. If there is a tie, the position will be given out by random.
The contracting committee will look over the administrative paperwork within twenty days. There will be ten days to fix any mistakes. To take part, you don’t have to put up any money. Bidders who win must send in their personal and vehicle paperwork within ten business days, and the service must start within six months.
