This year, temporary measures will not suffice to alleviate the evening and night-time taxi service pressures at Bilbao Airport. While a previous initiative by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia was functional, it faced opposition from some drivers who took legal action, compelling the council to reconsider its approach to managing the significant demand registered at 'La Paloma' during peak hours.
The current objective is to implement a definitive solution by redesigning the regulatory framework governing this activity, which is currently misaligned with the territory's evolving tourist, business, and social landscape. Over twenty-five years have passed since the last Foral Decree established 111 operating permits for the Biscay aerodrome. Since then, both mobility and leisure habits have substantially changed, as has the profile of a city like Bilbao, which now hosts major international events. The existing number of licenses is insufficient to meet the demand from travelers heading outside the capital or seeking faster, direct journeys.
Consequently, Sonia Pérez Ezquerra, the Provincial Deputy for Transport, Mobility, and Tourism, has announced that the process for establishing the Taxi Commission and the new Special Regime Regulation, which will replace the year 2000 rules, is already underway. This new ordinance will not be limited to this 'hotspot' but will also encompass the BEC (Bilbao Exhibition Centre) and the cruise terminal in Getxo. The updated regulations aim to allow for a maximum of 24 additional permanent taxi authorizations at 'La Paloma', bringing the total to the 135 licenses permitted by the Basque Government for the airport.
This move by the Provincial Council is unlikely to be finalized before summer due to bureaucratic timelines. This is attributed to the need for consensus-building with stakeholders and ensuring the legal certainty required for this regulatory update. Currently, Bizkaibus has already enhanced its public service with units operating every 15 minutes. Furthermore, as Pérez Ezquerra recalled, there are 305 VTC (Uber and Cabify) licensed vehicles across Bizkaia that can serve airport clients, although they are not permitted to wait at the airport but can pick up visitors.
This may not be the ideal solution for advocates of public transport, but as the deputy noted, it also requires time. The new framework for Bizkaibus, with new concessions starting in 2029, anticipates enhanced airport connections to accommodate the airport's consistently record-breaking passenger numbers. The long-standing project to link the terminal with the metro services also remains. In this pursuit of improved mobility and public transport, EH Bildu, represented in the General Assemblies of Bizkaia, has indicated its intention, through its Bilbao City Council members, to advocate for shuttle services at strategic points along Metro Line 3 to help 'decongest' passenger flows.
