Feneval and Unauto request the Ministry of Transport an extension of the compensations to the VTC

The sector considers that the initial period of four years is "insufficient" due to the reduction in income after the pandemic

MADRID, 6 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The National Federation of Rental Vehicles (Feneval) and Unauto-VTC have sent this Wednesday a request to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda in which they demand from the minister of the branch, Raquel Sánchez, that they be extended "at least in another two years" the compensation approved in 2018 for VTC vehicles, with the aim of avoiding losses in the time they need to adapt to the territorial scope.

As explained by Feneval and Unauto-VTC, the four-year period approved in the Royal Decree-law of 2018 is "insufficient" to compensate for the damages derived from the new definition of the territorial scope of the authorizations.

Initially, this period was defined based on an estimate of income, to which the calculation model of the investment recovery period was applied. However, the context of recent years has not allowed VTC services to reach this level of income.

As they state, the Covid-19 pandemic "sharply" reduced income from the provision of transport services in the period beginning in March 2020 and to date. "Demand plummeted during periods of confinement and, even after the confinement was lifted, income continued without improvement due to the constant limitations on mobility imposed by the administrations," they explained.

Thus, from Feneval and Unauto they have indicated that "the period of recovery of the investment is greater than four years" and, consequently, they have requested the extension of this compensation. The request includes one of the paragraphs of the royal decree of 2018 in which it is said that the term could be extended "in certain duly justified cases".

The employers of the sector have indicated that this extension of the term is "necessary and urgent", since the term is close to expiration and "it is confirmed" that income has been "reduced" since March 2020.

"The State will be responsible for said insufficiency, since it was its responsibility to compensate those authorized for the change in conditions." In addition, if it is not extended, the employers have indicated that it would mean a decision "not only contrary to the most elementary constitutional guarantees in terms of the defense of property", but also infringes the freedom of establishment guaranteed in the Treaty of Functioning of the European Union.

A few weeks before the deadline expires, only the Autonomous Community of Madrid has adopted the necessary regulations to continue VTC's activity in urban areas.