Brazilian Cab Drivers Rally Over Uber Public Consultation
In light of the recently reported government proposal in Sao Paolo Brazil for the famed public transportation service Uber and an opening of a public consultation, including the regulation of the app-based car service, cab drivers in the city rallied and blocked the roads for hours.
When the municipal government in Brazil decided to hold a public consultation for Uber, around 300 cab drivers blocked the road in front of the city hall to rally against the city's plans to regulate the billion-dollar U.S. firm, which would potentially cut out conventional cabs, NDTV reports.
The cab drivers were furious at the proposal, which kicked off through an online consultation site on Tuesday and will push through until the next 30 days, according to Fox News Latino. The news comes after the city government allowed Uber drivers to have driving licenses around the city even before legalizing the app.
The publication further revealed that the city's next move was to have the text approved by the City Council and signed by Mayor Fernando Haddad, allowing the creation of a study group discussing the special case of the $50 billion U.S. firm.
This angered regular cab drivers because of the possible threat to their business. Unlike Uber, these private individuals or self-employed drivers cannot get connected to passengers online, therefore limiting their chances to get regular customers a ride, NDTV reports.
Blocking the roads of Sao Paolo and even throwing firecrackers for three hours, cab drivers rallied to show their disapproval against the local government's decision to regulate Uber. The rally was apparently held at the same time that the city hall officials were holding a press conference to inform the public of their plans, per Fox News Latino.
The rally turned into a slightly violent one as cab drivers reportedly pushed and shoved media reporters from SBT and Globo television that were present for their coverage of the city hall announcement. The cab drivers also reportedly threw smoke bombs to hold off the police.
The bill will make Uber an Accredited Transport Operator when it's legalized and will have a limit on the number of kilometers in their operation as well as regulated fares by the government.
However, an anti-monopoly agency is already in motion. It kicked off last November, investigating the "anti-competitive" practices that the app possibly brings against regular cab drivers.
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