Granada has announced the accession of Albolote, Alfacar, Alhendín, Atarfe, Cúllar Vega, Las Gabias, Monachil, Otura, Pinos Genil, and Víznar to the Joint Service Area (APC) for Taxis. This initiative, driven by the Granada City Council and the Taxi Guild, represents the largest expansion of the service to date and will allow reciprocal operation of vehicles between the capital and these municipalities.
The APC monitoring commission has given the green light for the incorporation of these ten localities, adding to the twelve municipalities already integrated. With this expansion, the coverage area for the taxi service now reaches approximately 540,000 inhabitants, half of the provincial population, adapting to Granada's metropolitan reality and strengthening the functional relationship between the capital and the surrounding Cinturón municipalities.
The inclusion of these new municipalities also means an increase of 24 taxi licenses that previously operated in these towns and will now serve the entire metropolitan area. The measure will be debated in the July plenary session and, following administrative procedures and authorization from the Junta de Andalucía, the accession agreements will be signed.
The mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo, highlighted that this expansion signifies "we continue to advance towards more efficient and coordinated metropolitan mobility" and will allow for "improved connections between Granada and its surroundings, facilitating daily travel and strengthening a fundamental public service for thousands of users."
Concurrently, procedures have begun to update taxi service fares, proposing an average revision of 8.5% after three years without tariff modifications. This proposal, which will be presented to the Local Government Board, responds to the increase in operating costs, particularly for fuel, maintenance, and insurance, which have risen by approximately 30%.
The City Council notes that the APC expansion will lead to a greater number of trips and empty runs, as well as increased fuel consumption. Furthermore, specific regulations will be required to incorporate new unique destinations such as the Penitentiary Center of Albolote or Sierra Nevada.
