FlixBus disputes Spanish government restrictions on cabotage

FlixBus has publicly challenged Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente regarding the government's refusal to authorize cabotage services in Spain. Cabotage would allow the German bus company to transport passengers between Spanish cities as part of its existing international routes.

Minister Puente has accused FlixBus of attempting to “cheat” and distort the country's existing concession model. In response, Pablo Pastega, FlixBus Vice President for Iberia and South America, criticized the government for maintaining expired transport concessions and providing approximately 400 million euros in subsidies to existing operators over the last three years.

The dispute is currently part of a legal process at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), where Spain is facing the European Commission over its restrictions on cabotage. FlixBus claims that the Spanish system is “captured” and that the government is ignoring recommendations from the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).