According to the Union, per the current laws, Uber’s vehicles are operating illegally in Ghana because they are breaching some requirements of the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I 2180.

There were reports on social media over the weekend that the Ministry of Transport had directed Uber to ensure all its drivers brand their cars like taxis. 

This, however, turned out to be false as the Ministry denied such reports.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QcF9Qs7lGgBt3agFZDLfiCPvKqtLmLbM”]The Transport Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Gloria Holm-Graves, told Citi News that the said meeting was not conclusive.

“The meeting wasn’t conclusive because it is an ongoing process. We are listening to some of the laws and all that. The commercial drivers were raising all those things; about what is required for one to operate as a taxi service in the country, all the regulations that are available that one is expected to fulfill, and all of that.”

But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Vice Chairman of GPRTU, Robert Saba, who said they are not scared of the competition posed by Uber, insisted that they are only fighting for fairness.

According to him, per Ghana’s traffic regulations, taxis must have some of their parts painted with yellow colours as well as have a section indicating the number of passengers the taxi could take, information about the owner of the taxi among other things, adding that because Uber taxis do not have such information; they are currently, what he termed, “invisible.”

He also insisted that because taxi drivers pay tax and other levies to the state, Uber drivers must do same.

“We believe in competition, we do not fear competition. We’ve been in existence several years for now so we do not fear competition but the right thing must be done.”

“What I’m saying is that they [Uber], are operating like taxis but they do not pay the fees which taxis are paying. For instance, the wings of Uber vehicles must be painted yellow in accordance with section 130 of the L.I. You cannot use private vehicles for commercial purposes. That is also an offence. We pay fees to District Assemblies to emboss our vehicles, do they do that? They do not so all these expenses are not taken into consideration by them, so if they reduce their fares, that is good enough.”

Police must arrest Uber vehicles

Further arguing why he believes Uber vehicles should be painted with taxi colours, the GPRTU Vice Chairman said that should be the case “because Uber’s operation is equal to that of a taxi.”

He also insisted that drivers of Uber vehicles should be arrested by the Police because they are flouting the traffic regulations.

“The police should be arresting them, but they are failing to do that. The district assemblies are also part,” he added.

About Uber App

Uber Technologies Inc. is a global taxi technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, operating in over 630 cities worldwide and has a platform with an embedded GPS system which is also mobile friendly and connects passengers to taxi services at an affordable rate.

In Ghana, Uber is present in the national capital Accra, and the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

Hundreds of drivers have jumped onto the platform to make a living either on full-time or part-time basis.

In recent times, there had been arguments about whether Uber was a transport company or a technology service provider.

We can create an App like Uber – GPRTU

According to the GPRTU Vice Chairman although they do not have such a platform or APP used by Uber, they could also create one to enhance their services.

“We don’t have that platform but we can create that platform. We can do that. But I’m saying that their operations are not in accordance with road traffic regulations that are what we have to tackle for now.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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The insurance is being provided by Star Assurance Company Limited and will provide riders with personal accident insurance, which covers the rider’s medical expenses after an accident, as well as compensation for death or permanent disability suffered by a rider while on a trip with Uber.

“At Uber, we view the addition of this insurance coverage as an important part of fulfilling our goal of reliable, affordable and safe transportation options for all Ghanaians. This is an innovative and first of its kind solution for Uber riders in Ghana and has been tailored specifically for those on the road, building on Uber’s security already available through the app,” said Kofi Agyare, Country Manager of Uber Ghana.

Uber was launched in Accra, Ghana, in 2016. When it was launched in June that year, the service was only available in Accra but was later expanded to Kumasi.

About Uber

Uber Technologies Inc. is a global taxi technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, operating in over 630 cities worldwide.

In Ghana, Uber is present in the national capital Accra, and the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi. Hundreds of drivers have jumped onto the platform to make a living either on a full-time or part-time basis.

Founded in 2009, Uber develops, markets and operates the Uber car transportation. In some cities, Uber also engages in food delivery mobile apps.

In recent times, there had been arguments about whether Uber was a transport company or a technology service provider.

Within Europe, that argument has been settled, after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Uber is a transport company.

The ride-hailing firm argued it was an information society service – helping people to make contact with each other electronically – and not a cab firm.

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By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) has announced plans aimed at forcing all cab companies that take payment via credit card to offer a tipping option.

The move comes in response to a petition signed by 11,000 Uber drivers.

Rival services such as Lyft already offer a tipping option. However, Uber has always resisted such a move.

On its website, Uber said riders are not obliged to tip, but drivers can accept cash if offered.

In a statement, the ride-hailing app said it looked forward to reviewing the TLC’s proposal.

“Uber is always striving to offer the best earning opportunity for drivers and we are constantly working to improve the driver experience.

“That’s why, in New York City, we partnered with the Machinists Union to make sure current and future Uber NYC drivers have a stronger voice and launched a series of new tools and support policies for drivers,” the company said.

The suggested rules would need to go through several layers of approval before they can be enforced, a process expected to take several months.

‘Vitally important’

Uber’s partnership with the Machinists Union, in which a sub-group known as the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) has been formed, came in response to mounting pressure to allow Uber drivers to unionise.

The group falls short of being a fully-fledged union. Drivers will not be able to use the IDG to negotiate directly on pay or benefits, for example.

The IDG has welcomed the TLC’s move.

“Today’s decision is a vitally important step forward for drivers.

“In-app tipping will mean a raise of hundreds of millions of dollars for New York City drivers each year. Drivers have long been denied access to the kinds of benefits and labor protections many workers take for granted, such as paid sick leave or the minimum wage.

“As a result, New York City’s professional drivers have traditionally depended on gratuities for a substantial portion of their income. Cuts to driver pay across the ride-hail industry has made tipping income more important than ever,” said IDG founder Jim Conigliaro.

The IDG estimates tipping will be worth an extra $300m (£238m) to drivers in the city every year.

If New York City does force Uber to tip it could increase pressure on Uber from drivers in other cities around the world – many of which have concocted inventive ways to encourage tipping, often in vain as many riders do not have cash on hand.

“[Passenger] said he didn’t have cash on hand but offered me a bag of chips which I accepted,” wrote one driver from New Jersey on an Uber drivers forum.

“It’s worth $3, next time I go food shopping I will return the bag of chips for a refund.”

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Source: BBC

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The ride-hailing app, which expanded into Europe five years ago, has come under attack from established taxi companies and some EU countries because it is not bound by strict local licensing and safety rules which apply to some of its competitors.

Uber’s dispute with Barcelona’s main taxi operator, which in 2014 accused it of running an illegal taxi service via its UberPOP service, is seen as a landmark case which could lead the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) to label it a transport company rather than a digital service.

Such a ruling would subject the company to stricter rules on licensing, insurance and safety, with possible knock-on effects on other startups such as online home rental company Airbnb and food delivery company Deliveroo, other big brands in the sharing economy.

It could also limit efforts by the European Commission to boost e-commerce, a sector where the EU lags behind Asia and the United States, to drive economic growth and create jobs.

“Uber is part of a wave of technology which radically changes the way we shop, obtain information,” Uber’s lawyer Cani Fernandez told a panel of 15 judges at the ECJ.

“Uber contributes to linking drivers and passengers more efficiently,” she added, pointing to improvements in getting around, lower pollution and easier access to parking.

Uber is valued at more than $60 billion and its investors include Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and GV, formerly known as Google Ventures (GOOGL.O).

It has faced protests, bans and legal action around the world including in the United States and much of Europe as it disrupts existing business practices.

In this latest case, Barcelona’s main taxi operator argues Uber has an unfair advantage because it does not bear the costs which taxi companies face.

“If there is a transport service provided, a company should not be able to hide behind the thin veil of a different service,” its lawyer Montse Balague Farre said.

Lawyers for Spain, Ireland and France also argued that Uber should be treated as a transport company.

The Netherlands where Uber has its European headquarters, Estonia and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) however said the company merely provides a connecting service between the passenger and a driver.

The court should “send a message that innovation and new business opportunities in the European Union should be encouraged and not hindered by submitting them to unnecessary rules,” EFTA’s lawyer said.

An ECJ adviser is expected to give a non-binding opinion in the coming months before the judges give their verdict.

The case is Case C-434/15 Asociación Profesional Elite Taxi.

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Source: BBC

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