Taxi drivers and app drivers clash violently at Mar del Plata council meeting

Tensions boiled over into a violent brawl at the Mar del Plata City Council on Monday morning, as taxi drivers and ride-sharing app drivers clashed physically during a session to discuss the regulation of ride-sharing services. The confrontation, which began with heated verbal exchanges, quickly escalated into pushing and punches.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene within the legislative chamber, with insults turning into physical altercations. One particularly aggressive driver was seen repeatedly striking another until the victim fell onto a desk amidst the flying objects and shouting. The session was disrupted, with one participant heard urging the session be suspended and security requested for the next meeting.

This physical clash underscores a deep-seated conflict between traditional taxi services and app-based transportation in the region. In Mar del Plata, eight taxi drivers recently filed a civil lawsuit against Uber, DiDi, and Cabify, seeking over 848 million pesos in damages for alleged unfair competition. They argue that while taxis adhere to municipal regulations, app drivers operate in violation of an ordinance prohibiting unauthorized passenger transport platforms.

The dispute extends to Bahía Blanca, where a decree granting ride-sharing drivers an additional year to officially register with the municipality caused significant backlash from taxi and remise drivers. They view this extension as creating "labor inequity" and unfair competition, as they face immediate controls while app services receive leniency. Lawyers representing over 400 taxi drivers are challenging this decree, which they argue contradicts an earlier ordinance establishing a unified registry for all transport workers with equal rights and obligations.