Uber still hopes for service legalization

Trasy Lou Walsh

No concrete dialogues have yet been established between the controversial ride-hailing app Uber and the government.

Uber Macau general manager Trasy Lou Walsh told the press yesterday that the company has been communicating with a government entity, and expressed her hope for a constructive dialogue with them.

“Unfortunately I really cannot disclose much at this stage because there isn’t really a concrete update,” Walsh admitted.

Uber Macau presented a 2016 ‘year in review’ yesterday, stating that the average estimated vehicle arrival time decreased from 8.1 minutes at the beginning of 2016 to 4.4 minutes at the end of the year.

According to Uber Macau’s data, riders from 385 cities have taken an Uber ride in the territory. Local riders have traveled a total distance of 3.3 million km and the Border Gate, Cotai Strip and the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal were the top three destinations in 2016.

Walsh noted that the ride- hailing app currently has over 3,000 registered drivers – a figure which continues to increase.

As the “special taxis,” which can be hailed by phone, online or mobile app, will be running in the region at the start of April, but Walsh suggested that it would not significantly affect Uber’s business.

“Our drivers are able to get online in a flexible time [and] our pricing, and number of drivers depends on the demand and supply situation in different points of time, [so] this is also one of advantages that we have,” she explained.

Back in September, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) announced that the “special taxi license” entitles Radio Taxi Macau Taxi Service Ltd. to run 100 special taxis in the regions.

Meanwhile, Walsh expressed her confidence that the ride- hailing industry would be regulated in Macau – saying that over 100 jurisdictions globally have implemented ridesharing regulations.

“We are confident that in Macau, we are going to develop into a more diversified industry,” she said. “And that’s why ride-sharing is one of the solutions that Macau can take and we’re confident that it will happen.”

Walsh said that there were over 23,000 signatures in support of its petition in July 2016 calling for the legalization of Uber.

The Times enquired about the number of drivers who were fined last year, but Walsh responded that she did not have the exact figures. She also refused to reveal the exact amount that Uber was fined in 2016.

Uber said in August that it would discontinue its Macau operations, primarily due to hefty fines for its drivers.

The company was supposed to withdraw on September 9 if it failed to reach an agreement regarding the company’s legalization and fines, which allegedly amounted at the time to more than MOP10 million.

However, in early September, Uber re-affirmed their intention to “continue to serve the riders and drivers of Macau.”
Prior to this announcement, several groups wrote to the government asking to help Uber remain in the territory, and a demonstration supporting Uber was held.

DSAT issued a statement yesterday informing that there was a meeting with Uber in October during which the bureau reitareted that Uber is providing an illegal service in Macau.