Uber in Asturias, Spain, only covers intercity rides

Asturias: Uber only for intercity rides

Anyone landing in Asturias with the habit of sorting out every journey through an app finds an incomplete map. In this Spanish region, Uber only covers intercity rides. For getting around within cities, the options boil down to local apps and the old-fashioned phone call. The question, asked by someone spending a few days in the region, is as simple as it is awkward: which app should you install?

Why does Uber only cover intercity rides in Asturias?

The prevailing explanation has nothing to do with technology, but with geography and local politics. The two or three main cities are so close together that an urban ride barely makes sense: hardly anyone takes a taxi for distances a bus can cover. The urban and intercity bus network, the TUA, works well and absorbs much of the demand. On top of that sits a deeply entrenched taxi sector, with the clout to pressure the regional government. Some argue that regulation protects the trade and blocks new operators from entering. The harshest criticism goes further, speaking of a power capable of influencing even Sunday shopping openings; that reading is an opinion, not a verified fact, and should be taken for what it is.

Which taxi app works in Asturias?

Among the apps mentioned by people who have used taxis there is Pidetaxi. Uber is limited to transfers between towns. And then there is the method that never goes out of fashion: dial 985 252 500 and ask for a car, especially when heading back to the station laden with luggage. The public alternative also adds up. Narrow-gauge trains run through scenic landscapes at modest speeds —around 40 km/h— and buses connect the regional capital with the airport, a journey that takes about 30 minutes. That said, bring provisions: the narrow-gauge network has a fruta for stranding travellers at any given halt.

The price: fixed fare in the app versus the street taxi

Here comes the argument that carries the most weight. When the ride is booked through an app, the price is known before you get in and does not change. When you phone or hail a taxi in the street, the bill can double. One concrete case shared in the discussion: same route and similar time, 28 euros for a taxi booked by phone versus 12 euros with the app. On the platforms' side, the price is not fixed: an algorithm recalculates the fare in real time based on factors the passenger cannot see. That is the key to the system and, at the same time, its black box.

With these pieces, the puzzle half fits. Uber existing only for intercity rides is attributed to market forces, regulation and size. What nobody can quite settle —as one participant asks— is why the taxi sector prefers fewer services at higher prices to more services at moderate prices. The maths does not add up.