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Legal issues for Uber taxi after Trinidad launching
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Author:  edders23 [ Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Legal issues for Uber taxi after Trinidad launching
Within hours of being activated in Trinidad yesterday, ride-sharing app Uber hit a bump in the road with the Ministry of Works and Transport questioning the legality of its operations here.

Ministry officials, including Minister Rohan Sinanan, met for several hours on the issue yesterday.

It later issued a news release stating it will be seeking legal advice to determine if the service can continue to operate within Trinidad and Tobago's legislative framework.

At 11 a.m., the app was officially turned on.

Uber is an on-demand car service that allows passengers to request private drivers through applications for iPhone and Android devices. The service utilises dispatch software to send the nearest driver to your location.

In the release, the ministry said while Uber is known internationally, local authorities were concerned over the legality of its operations within this jurisdiction.

“A major concern of the Ministry of Works and Transport in the operation of Uber is whether private vehicles would be used for hire,” it stated.

The ministry drew reference to Chapter 48:50 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, which states “no person shall drive on any road, a taxi registered as such, unless he is the holder of a taxi-driver's licence issued to him by the Licensing Authority under these regulations”.

“When you travel with an authorised taxi, you are ensuring the relevant checks and balances have taken place. Further, the use of a private vehicle for hire is contrary to its registration. The public is advised that no private vehicle should be used for hire,” the ministry said.

Since Uber was launched in 2009 it has been able to skirt taxi regulations in many countries based on its argument that it is not a taxi company but an online service provider.

In an interview with the Express on Friday, Uber's communications associate for Central America and the Caribbean, Julie Robinson-Centella, maintained this position.

“The most important thing is that our service is not a taxi service. Definitely, our service cannot be regulated or legislated through the same regulations or laws that have been built many years before, when Trinidad started to function.

“That's one of the things we keep on enforcing before we start. A regular taxi service won't have a system to get into,” she said.
Author:  Sussex [ Wed Jan 18, 2017 7:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Legal issues for Uber taxi after Trinidad launching
edders23 wrote:
At 11 a.m., the app was officially turned on.

=D>
Author:  edders23 [ Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Legal issues for Uber taxi after Trinidad launching
Sussex wrote:
edders23 wrote:
At 11 a.m., the app was officially turned on.

=D>



doubt the local cabbies feel the same way !
Author:  Sussex [ Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Legal issues for Uber taxi after Trinidad launching
edders23 wrote:
Sussex wrote:
edders23 wrote:
At 11 a.m., the app was officially turned on.

=D>



doubt the local cabbies feel the same way !

You now what, I actually thought it said turned off. #-o
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