Will Uber prompt PH protection or phase out?

Within in a day of its public launch, Uber has not only acquired thousands of fans willing to try it, it has also attracted the attention of the Works Ministry and the Attorney General.

On the one side, the travellers are looking for the fastest, cheapest way to get home in the face of a broken public transport system. Their irritation is rising against the government on the other, which is now belated seeking to determine the legality of Uber.

Caught in the middle are the PH or ‘private hire’ drivers, who have functioned in a curious space for decades. On paper, their operation is illegal. These cars are not licensed taxis and cannot be insured as such. Yet, they have been the main source of transport to and from the majority of communities in TT for decades, as successive governments did little to improve the accessibility and reliability of public transport. They have also been ineffective in stopping the operation of the PH drivers themselves, who face little more than the occasional ticket.

But Uber could be a game changer. A release from the Works Ministry on Monday challenged the company’s ability to operate on this jurisdiction using private vehicles for hire. Based on this justification, an obvious issue which arises is, will the government finally be dealing the PH issue and, how are they going to go about it. Moreover, how do the PH drivers feel about the new competitor in their space?

When Business Day went to talk to them on various taxi stands around Port-of-Spain, many did not know what Uber was, or had heard about it on the radio news but were unsure as to how it worked. Once it was explained to them, they seemed unfazed by its presence, as well as any possible action the government may take against them.

One driver in particular, Mitchell*, told Business Day his prices were already in line with what Uber was charging, so he wasn’t worried.

“The taxis in the airport charge $190 for a trip into Port-of-Spain. Some of these fellas charge $175 for a one-way trip to the airport. I charge $125.”

He thought the only PH drivers who would have cause for concern, were those who were overcharging passengers. The extra competition would force them to lower their prices, or out of business.

As to the future of the app based taxi service, Mitchell was resigned to its presence in TT.

“If people like it and the prices are reasonable, it is going to stay.”

But that still may be up to the government to decide.

For his part, Faris Al Rawi, Attorney General, saw both the good and the bad side of Uber. He said during an interview earlier this week:

““On the one hand, it is quite a very interesting, positive step, with its registration exercise, and its security, which is a step beyond Trinidad and Tobago’s PH system. But on the other hand, there is a collision with the existing laws in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Mentioning the Motor Vehicles Act was currently before a legislative committee to examine possible amendments to the legislation, the AG said a “balancing act” had to be struck between Uber’s positives and enforcing the law. The concerns of insurers also had to be considered he said.

However, Al Rawi, gave no details on what this balancing act would entail.

How local taxi services operating under the Uber model are to be treated is another grey area. Two of these, Reach and Droptt have been operational for some time. We reached out to Andre Attal, one of the owners of Droptt for his opinions on the matter and whether he thought it was likely his business would be suspended until the appropriate legal amendments were made. As of press time, we were unable to speak to him.

Mitchell’s approach was pragmatic. If Uber was going to become a permanent part of the landscape, then he would find a way to benefit from it, possibly, even signing up with the service.

“It’s an extra dollar,” he told Business Day, “And I need always need the money.”

*Not his real name