Uruguay
Travel platforms begin operating under regulation in Canelones and project expansion
The Intendencia approved a formal framework for transport apps with 500 slots for private drivers. According to El País de Uruguay, companies see room to grow as license plates are issued and activity is monitored.
Transport apps began operating formally in Canelones after the launch of a departmental regulation that organizes the activity. According to El País, the Intendencia opened 500 slots for private platform drivers, in addition to permits for 54 remises and 216 taxis.
According to that outlet, the process included a call in May for registration in the system and the allocation was then carried out by lottery. The director general of Traffic and Transport of the Intendencia de Canelones, Alejandro Alberro, explained that during this month the documentation submitted by applicants will be reviewed and the issuance of license plates will continue.
Both the municipality and the platforms consider that implementation is progressing satisfactorily. El País reported that Cabify Uruguay said there is an exchange of information with the Intendencia to update the roster of authorized cars and drivers. In addition, the company highlighted that in Canelones it was provided with the base of taxi permits willing to work through the app.
The regulation created a specific license plate for private vehicles that provide services through apps. That requirement led numerous cars, especially those registered in Montevideo, to be re-registered in Canelones. According to Cabify, as reported to El País, the company has already been notified of between 120 and 130 vehicles that changed plates.
Alberro said, according to that newspaper, that among drivers there is satisfaction with the regularization of their situation and stressed that the measure also aims to provide greater guarantees to users. In that context, he warned that unauthorized vehicles do not have passenger insurance. Enforcement предусматриes the removal of the license plate and a cash fine of $ 73,000 for those who work without the corresponding plate.
From the business sector, Cabify told El País that it is recording a 20% monthly increase in rides in Canelones. The company sees opportunities for expansion, although it points to operational challenges linked to the distances between populated areas of the department, a factor that affects both the fare paid by the passenger and the driver’s income per trip.
The Intendencia continues reviewing documentation, issuing plates and calling people who remained on the waiting list to fill the established slots. According to Alberro, once the 500 app licenses are on the street, Mayor Francisco Legnani plans to review the system’s operation after three months to assess, together with the platforms and permit holders, whether it is appropriate to expand the number of authorizations.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this fact.
