Uber is a mobile application created by the American company Uber Technologies Inc. based in San Francisco (California). Was designed to offer a chauffeur service, very similar to taxis, but with private drivers.
These drivers must have certain requirements to enter Uber as a driver, either using their own vehicle or that of a partner-driver with a fleet, they can transport people to their destination. But still in many countries they are still wondering if it is legal or illegal to use Uber.
How does Uber work?
When you first hear about Uber, you wonder what it is and how Uber works. The answer is simple, it is a platform that use the GPS function of the mobile phone to locate the customer and display the nearest Uber taxis; in turn, the driver has everything he needs in the application to receive the customer’s request.
Uber is an application that can be easily installed; his speed and ease of use For customers and drivers alike, it was the trigger for its breakneck success and worldwide expansion. However, it also generated great controversy, by becoming a dangerous competition for the taxi drivers’ union, directly affected by Uber.
Is it legal or illegal? The debates surrounding Uber
The problems between Uber and the taxi drivers’ union in different countries began shortly after its launch; to classify as a unfair competition for the taxi sector. Even so, the presence of this application continues to have an encouraging projection for the future, in all the countries and continents where it is used.
The argument that has been used against Uber is the exacerbated advantage it has over taxi drivers; thanks to the high quality of the service, its low cost and the ease of finding a driver quickly; resulting in many customers prefer to use Uber before locating a taxi; which is why it has not been formally regulated in several countries.
Many customers consider it safer than ordering a conventional taxi, since through the application it is possible to see the photo of the driver, know the patent of the vehicle, the model and the ratings received by other users; You can even cancel the Uber trip in case of an error, which gives the passenger more peace of mind and confidence.
The debate focuses primarily on whether the Uber app should be legally considered a public transportation service or a private transportation service; and until that is determined in all the countries where it has a presence, then the problem of its use as to whether Uber is legal or illegal will continue to be valid.
Even there are regulatory limbos between the laws at the local, regional and national level of the same country; further complicating the debate on the legality or not of Uber. For this reason there are countries where this famous application works partially in some cities; while in others not, within the same country; or countries where it is completely prohibited.
Countries where Uber may or may not work
So far, the list of places where Uber does not operate is as follows: it is completely banned in Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkeyalso in the city of London, the city of Brno (located in the Czech Republic), in almost all of Germany (except in Munich, Düsseldorf and Berlin), and is partially prohibited in Italy, France, Finland and the Netherlands.
Recently Uber is about to leave Colombia, as of this February 1, 2020; after a long controversy to determine if Uber is legal or illegal in this country, for not complying with the laws imposed by the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC); although shortly after the superintendent Andrés Barreto admitted that the entity does not have a way to enforce the sentence.
The truth is that the list of countries where Uber is still a application legal is much more extensive still; given that has spread to hundreds of cities all over the planet; Its impressive number of almost 7 million affiliated accounts are the best proof of the good acceptance that this application has had.
