THE WORLD-WIDE ride-hailing transportation service Uber is making moves to enter the Barbados market but local traditional taxi operators are fuming over the news.
Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy last week disclosed that Uber officials “have been to Barbados and they are talking with the officials responsible for that sector, the Ministry of Transport and Works.”
But the idea is not sitting well with some of the principals of taxi operations here. “It is going to kill taxis altogether,” declared Charles Layne, president of the Bridgetown Port Taxi Co-operative Society Limited which has a membership of over 130.
“I can’t believe that Government would want to do that” Layne said yesterday in disbelief, adding: “Right now we are going for 3 000 taxi permits and nearly 2 000 ZMs.” He suggested Uber would affect the taxi operators in Barbados “tremendously” and argued the island was “too small” to accommodate the Uber service. (GC)
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