Taxis in the city of Madrid are holding a 24 hour strike on Wednesday against the arrival of internet car-sharing app Uber.

The approximately 15,000 taxis in the Spanish capital stopped working at 6 am on Wednesday morning and will not work again until 6 am on Thursday.

"Uber has begun to work in Spain with private cars and drivers, something which is against Spanish law and which also puts users in danger given that the cars used lack authorization, insurance and the necessary guarantees to give a transport service to travelers," advised a communique from the taxi sector.

Spain's Public Work's Ministry issued a communique on Monday in which it stated that "people and companies who give a transport service in private cars with economic remuneration," fall within the scope of the 'Terrestrial Transport Law.'

Although this appears to support the taxi drivers' case, the various associations of taxi drivers complain that the Ministry has been passive in the face of the arrival of 'Uber' and other similar websites

"Almost 100,000 families in Spain depend on taxis for their living and all we are asking is the law is upheld and the safety of users is not put at risk either," commented the associations.

Uber allows users to get into contact with non-professional drivers and has been operating in Barcelona for a month and a half.

The strike in Madrid coincides with anti-Uber protests by taxi drivers in Barcelona and in other European cities.

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