The National Police have arrested a 53-year-old taxi driver as the alleged perpetrator of a serious injury offence after beating up a legal transfer driver in the arrivals area of Palma airport.
Agents of the National Police have detained a 53-year-old Spanish taxi driver accused of brutally assaulting a driver of a legal transfer service at Palma airport. The events occurred in the arrivals area of the terminal, where the victim was waiting for clients who had previously booked the transfer.
According to the account of the victim and several witnesses, the taxi driver approached the driver visibly agitated and yelled at him: "How dare you offer me a service? I am a taxi driver. You are a thief." He then began to hit him with headbutts and punches to the face and various parts of the body, until the victim fell to the ground and continued to receive blows.
Several airport workers and users intervened to separate the aggressor, while others alerted emergency services and the National Police. The violence of the attack required immediate action to prevent more serious consequences.
As a result of the assault, the transfer driver suffered a fractured lip, the loss of a dental piece, and numerous contusions throughout his body. He required medical assistance and, according to close sources, he has also suffered a significant emotional impact after being attacked while performing his job.
Subsequent investigations confirmed that the taxi driver had made a serious mistake: the assaulted driver was not illegally soliciting passengers nor operating as an illegal taxi, but was providing a previously contracted and authorized transport service, acting in accordance with the law.
After taking statements from the victim and several witnesses, whose accounts coincided in the essentials, the National Police proceeded to arrest the taxi driver as the alleged perpetrator of a serious injury offence. The detainee has been placed at the disposal of the judiciary.
Sources from the investigation have indicated that both the taxi company to which the detainee belongs and the Palma City Council will be informed of the events so they can assess the adoption of measures they deem appropriate regarding the behaviour exhibited by one of the professionals in the sector.
The incident has generated great shock among the travellers and workers who witnessed the scene, and has reopened the debate about the coexistence of different transport services at Palma airport. The arrivals area is a critical point where taxis, transfers, and rental vehicles converge, and tensions are not infrequent.
The victim, who is still recovering from his injuries, has received support from colleagues and the discretionary transport sector. The Balearic transfer association has strongly condemned the assault and called for measures to ensure the safety of workers.
The Palma City Council, for its part, has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the investigation and to review operational protocols at the airport to prevent situations like this from happening again. The involved taxi company has not yet publicly commented on the case.
The assault occurs in a context of competition between taxis and transfer services for passenger capture at the airport, although in this case, the assaulted driver was acting within the law. The National Police continues to investigate the events to determine if there are others involved or if the taxi driver acted alone.
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