Despite the government’s opposition to the ride-hailing service, it has yet to decide on an enforcement strategy that would keep Uber vehicles off the road in Costa Rica.
The Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) approved a ₡15 hike in regular per-kilometer taxi fares and a ₡2 to ₡3 increase in per-liter fuel prices.
Presidency Minister Sergio Alfaro told reporters during a press conference Tuesday that blocking Uber is not a viable solution to the controversy. “This administration is not against technological advancement,” Alfaro told reporters.
“Members of the union, who are traffic officers, have the right to have their own opinion about the legality or not of Uber but they do not have the right to not comply with their duties and disobey orders,” Traffic Police Commissioner Mario Calerdón said.
SAN FRANCISCO, California – Uber has spent more on lobbyists in the U.S. state of California than Facebook and Apple combined to fend off regulations aimed at the heart of its worldwide business model.
Uber went live in Costa Rica Friday afternoon but within hours the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) announced that it had fined two of the ride-hailing service's drivers, according to a Facebook post from the ministry. As MOPT denounced Uber, it released a statement repudiating any violence against the company's drivers after photos of a car with smashed windows surfaced on social media in the pre-dawn hours Saturday, reportedly showing a vehicle that was damaged because it was working with Uber.
The service will be offered along the central corridor of the San José Greater Metropolitan Area, from Lindora to San José to Curridabat, and Heredia staring Friday afternoon, the company announced.
Aspiring Uber drivers carved out a few hours of their Mother’s Day holiday Saturday to learn about the ride-hailing service as it waits for a green light from the government to start operations in Costa Rica. The company could start operating any day.
Vice Minister of Transport Sebastián Urbina told La Nación that any cars operating with Uber would be considered “pirates” and could face fines of ₡99,000 (roughly $185) and lose their plates.
