Uber has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). The service was launched there on the January 15. Celebrity Machel Montano promoted the launch by taking the first Uber ride. Uber is expanding its global reach. T&T is the first English speaking country in the Caribbean where the service is offered. The Dominican Republic saw the introduction of the transportation service in November 2015 while the US territory of Puerto Rico experienced their introduction in July 2016.
Already Uber is facing difficulties with theT&T authorities. Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan has said, “As it stands now their operation here is illegal.” The ministry contends that Uber’s operations will make its drivers contravene the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act. To offer taxi services in Trinidad, a driver must have a taxi-driver’s licence. As it stands, Uber drivers are persons who own or drive vehicles. There is no requirement that they own a taxi-driver’s licence.
The Minister of Transport is also concerned about insurance coverage for passengers. In response, the local representative for Uber in Trinidad, Julie Robinson-Centella, makes the usual company response that Uber is not a taxi service but an online service provider. Uber has faced several court battles as its operations conflict with existing regulations and business practices in countries or states in which it operates. Robinson-Centella also advised that all Uber riders and third parties would be covered by insurance. It seems a bit contradictory for Uber to declare that it is not a taxi or transportation company yet it insures passengers using its services.
Trinidadians seem to be aware of the income earning potential of the company for ordinary individuals. At the introduction, 200 drivers had already registered to be a part of the service. It is not surprising really that drivers are interested, because there is a practice in Trinidad for persons to use their private vehicles for hire. Locally, they are called “PH” taxis. The Uber model is really the same except, of course, for the telecommunications and online platform. Although its current laws do not allow the government to sanction this illegal taxi service, it is so ironic that Uber may enter the market and organise and obtain revenue from the PH concept. I hasten to say, however, that government should not be responsible for initiating all business in a country; it is more of a private sector role. PH taxis too are probably happy to have their independence and unlike Uber do not have to share their fees. What Uber does is to add a marketing aspect. It could be, however, that not all of the PH drivers may need any marketing.
It is possible that Uber may win a legal battle in Trinidad as it has done in other jurisdictions. It is possible too that T&T may have to amend some of its transportation and licensing regulations. But legal battles are not the only conflicts faced by Uber. In some places where Uber operates, the conflict has also been with legally operating taxi drivers. Sometimes the conflict takes an interesting expression. One visitor to Puerto Rico reported on TripAdvisor that local taxi drivers physically blocked their Uber vehicle from driving off. The passengers, according to the post, had to get out of the Uber vehicle and walk away from the vehicle and the hotel so that the driver could get to them. The same type of conflict has erupted in protests and violence in many countries and cities when Uber enters the taxi space. There were massive strikes in London, Sao Paulo, Rome, Mumbai, Belgium and Paris and Melbourne. This shows the similarity of the global reaction. There are no reports yet of any protests in Port of Spain and probably there will be none, but only a few days have passed since Uber arrived there. In addition, Uber is only operating within a limited geographical area at the moment. Consumers can only access the service within Port of Spain, although they can request a journey outside of that city.
The consumers will decide what service they will use whether PH, legal taxi or Uber. For many, that will be influenced by cost and convenience. For others, safety may be a primary concern. T&T has been grappling with the disappearance of persons, especially women. Would Uber increase the incidence of more contact with strangers and the possibility of increased danger, especially to female passengers? This safety concern especially rape and sexual assault has, however, cropped up with Uber in various cities around the world. The same fears exist with regard to the use of PH taxis as well. And the use of a legal taxi does not necessarily shield a passenger from danger either. In the end, the consumer will have to be cautious.
The introduction of Uber into T&T creates an interesting competition – not only with legal taxis, but also with the PH drivers who use their private vehicles for hire. One waits to see whether the legal framework would accommodate Uber and what the PH operators would have to say about that.
By Terry Nisbett
