Source: PanAm Post

Uruguay’s Taxi Union will try to put a stop to the use of the public transit application Uber this Wednesday, September 7.

A march is planned for 5 p.m. Wednesday during which they will set up a tent in front of the Legislative Palace until the following Saturday, according to Taxi leader Antonio Diez.

Once the tent is set up they will discuss how long the stop of taxi service should last, he aded.

The taxi drivers said they hope to present their position on Uber to the two chambers of parliament.

Previously, the government had said there was no reason to prohibit or sanction the business, which connects drivers and passengers through a mobile phone app.

Additionally, Uruguay’s government has explained that, “they can coexist, though there is a limitation on the number of competitors that enter the market through public authorities that grant permits and licenses, while Uber has no such barriers to entry and with no fixed fee on their prices that creates more efficiency in the market.”

Traditional taxi drivers consider the app unfair competition that reduces the capacity for innovation within the traditional business model.

Source: El observador

Written by: Karina Martín
Karina Martín is a Venezuelan reporter with the PanAm Post based in Valencia. She holds a bachelor's degree in Modern Languages from the Arturo Michelena University.