Hundreds of taxi drivers blocked a major thoroughfare in Madrid with their cars on Monday - in their biggest protest yet against Uber and other new services that they believe distort competition.

Spanish riot police deployed cranes and tow trucks to lift taxis out of the way so that traffic on Paseo de la Castellana could pass. As the first vehicles were lifted away, the remaining cars began to roll away, while sounding their horns.

The country's taxi drivers went on strike on Monday, protesting ride-hailing services like Uber and its Spanish competitor Cabify, demanding the government regulate the new competition.

Last week, taxi drivers in Barcelona went on a similar strike after the Catalan regional government announced new rules that require ride-sharing services to be booked longer in advance. Uber and Cabify say the changes will force them to close.

Source: TT