Cantabria will give aid of 500 euros to taxi drivers

The Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Transport and Commerce of the Government of Cantabria, through SODERCAN, will grant direct aid to the taxi sector to help mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on its activity.

The subsidies will have a fixed amount of 500 euros per municipal license for autotaxi with activity.

The Governing Council is expected to approve this Thursday at its weekly meeting the decree that regulates the direct concession by SODERCAN of subsidies for the support, maintenance and reactivation of the taxi sector, to which the order of 275,000 euros will be allocated , as explained by the Minister of Innovation, Industry, Transport and Commerce, Francisco Martín.

The counselor has pointed out that the limitations imposed on nightlife, the suppression of festivities and events celebrations, and the establishment of the “curfew”, among other restrictions that are currently maintained by the Covid-19 pandemic, have severely hit many sectors, including the taxi, which has seen a sharp decline in its activity and income.

Francisco Martín has highlighted that the extraordinary circumstances caused by COVID-19 have caused a health crisis of enormous magnitude that is greatly affecting society, with exceptional health, social and economic consequences that require the adoption of measures such as these direct aid to the taxi sector, to help mitigate the impact caused by this crisis.

Martín has pointed out that like the ‘resistance check’ and the ‘autonomous check’, these aids will be channeled through the public company SODERCAN so that the concession procedure is faster and more agile, so that they reach the sector as soon as possible .

“The current economic and social situation advises the establishment of agile and efficient procedures that allow the rapid perception of aid by the beneficiaries.”

Francisco Martín recalled that, during the confinement derived from the first state of alarm declared in March, the Ministry provided protective screens to the taxi sector, considered an essential service, to establish a physical barrier between customers and drivers, as a preventive measure to protect health of workers and travelers during the exceptional health situation.

There were 750 screens manufactured entirely in Cantabria that were made available to professionals through the sector associations.

The subsidies will be granted directly, upon request from the interested parties, and will be compatible with any other subsidy, aid, income or resource from other administrations or entities, public or private, national, from the European Union or from international organizations, always that the total amount of aid does not exceed the intensity limit set in the applicable regulations.

An application may be submitted for each municipal autotaxi license.

Applications may be submitted within 15 business days from the day the decree enters into force, primarily electronically or only exceptionally in person at the SODERCAN offices.

The decree will come into force on the same day of its publication in the Official Gazette of Cantabria (BOC).