Ministerio de transporte no

In Spain, too. The government thinks of itself as just one big hall monitor;

The Public Works Ministry has told users of car-sharing services that they will be committing a “very serious infraction” should they not have their official paperwork in order, and could be facing fines of between €401 and €600. The ministry also warned that, under Spanish law, platforms that “promote, offer or provide these services” without the appropriate administrative authorization could be fined anywhere from €4,001 to €6,000. In exceptional cases the fine could reach €18,000 for repeat offenders.

“The ministry would like to issue a reminder that the Terrestrial Transport Law (LOTT) requires any persons or companies that transport passengers in private vehicles in exchange for economic payment must first be authorized to do so by the Administration,” the statement from the department reads. The reminder from the ministry has been issued amid protests by taxi drivers over the arrival of car service application Uber, which offers users an alternative to traditional taxis.

Franco is long gone, but the fascist impulse lives on. Meanwhile, in Mexico they go in the opposite direction; more open competition;

“Mexico is a country in transformation. It has decided to change everything that was stopping it from growing.” Those were the words of President Enrique Peña Nieto at a lecture in Madrid on Monday entitled “Mexico: reform for growth”, which was organized by EL PAÍS.

During his talk, the Mexican leader, who has been in office since December 2012, defended his program of reforms and said that their aim is to produce a more competitive, transparent and efficient economy.

Chief among those reforms is to open the petroleum industry to all comers, including the gringos;

Peña Nieto took this opportunity to underscore his vision of Mexico as a profoundly democratic country with “healthy public finances, a flexible exchange rate and a solid banking system,” which is open to trade and foreign investment. The president added that he hopes to attract more money to the country by introducing greater competition and legal security.

“We are committed to the rule of law,” he said. 

!Ole!