The socialist party has demanded that the government makes up its mind on the current Uber taxi situation , calling for "urgent intervention" to regulate the private taxi company which launched its controversial service in Lisbon.
Socialist MP, Rui Paulo Figuereido formally has asked the government whether it considers Uber Portugal’s activities as lawful and duly regulated, or whether the law is being broken.
There has been recent controversy over Uber’s operation in Lisbon resulting in the taxi drivers’ union lodging an injunction which resulted in the suspension of Uber’s operations.
There is "uncertainty about its legal framework," which "only increases the need for a policy and legislative response" to this situation, according to Figueirido .
"It is clear that there is an urgent need for government intervention in this matter, either by means of new laws and regulations, or by the judicial interpretation of the existing legal framework," said the MP, clearly keen to stop Uber’s activities..
The Bank of Portugal, when advised of the injunction in early June which ordered it to stop any payments to Uber or to its drivers through Portugal’s banking system, could not comply as the injunction was for the US company Uber Inc which does not trade in Portugal.
The court in Lisbon decided in favour of the National Association of Road Transport Passenger Cars representing the taxi industry, which lodged the original injunction contesting this new mobile phone-based service.
Uber was not informed of the result of the injunction so carried on, later challenging the decision while continuing to operate.
The socialist believe that the traditional taxi industry is valuable and therefore that "the problems affecting the industry must properly be studied and suitable solutions found, which has not happened."
"The Ministry of the Economy is slow to find solutions for the taxi industry," criticised Figueiredo.
Uber was developed in San Francisco and acts as an intermediary between private cab drivers and customers by the use of customer friendly technology. As of March 26, 2015, the service was available in 55 countries and more than 200 cities worldwide.
Portugal prides itself in being technology savvy and advanced despite many examples where new computerised systems have been introduced and failed on launch.
If Uber is banned this will mark Portugal's Minister of the Economy, Pires de Lima, as behind the times as the Uber system and others like it use proven technology to offer the consumer choice and convenience at a lower cost than the existing taxi services.
The rejection of any service that is good for the customer is short sighted and protectionist – hence this legal ban may not last - it seems already to be being ignored.
