Elche is planning to request more taxi licences than the seven it is allocated based on population growth, potentially reaching around twenty due to demand at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport.
The Mobility department is currently conducting a study to determine how many licences should be requested, taking advantage of current legislation that permits additional requests based on the specific needs of airport infrastructure within the municipality. Although Councillor Claudio Guilabert plans to discuss the matter in detail soon, the final figure could be around twenty.
The local department is drafting the project to evaluate the necessary number of licences in collaboration with the regional government’s Department of Infrastructure and Territory. Guilabert noted that whilst many licences will be issued overall, it is not simply a matter of asking for a high number, as doing so could negatively impact the work of current taxi drivers. The study will clarify the ideal figure by combining the population ratio with airport demand.
The councillor stated that the quota for VTC services in the city is already full, so the focus is now on granting more taxi licences. These licences will offer employment opportunities for salaried drivers waiting for their own permit, and unlike previous proposals for seasonal options, these licences will operate year-round. In the coming days, the department will meet with the presidents of Elche’s two sector associations, Radiotaxi and Servitaxi, to explain the regulations and ongoing joint work.
Incidents regarding transport supply at the airport have decreased considerably over the past two years through taxi efforts and reinforced bus services managed by the regional government, the council, and Aena. While demand peaks still cause occasional issues during busy summer periods or local events like the Festes d’Elx, the councillor emphasized these are isolated occurrences typical of high-tourist summer destinations.
In 2024, the local government approved 24 new taxi licences in the municipality, 12 of which were assigned to adapted vehicles for people with reduced mobility. Ten VTC licences for Uber also arrived that same year.
Once the study concludes, the exact request count will be confirmed. The new licences are expected to be deployed at some point in 2027, once processing time and final approval have been completed.
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