After going to the outskirts of the US Embassy in San José, taxi drivers moved to Circunvalación doing Tortuguismo.
The drives organzied a demonstration to show discontent against a bill promoted by the Economic Affairs Commission of the Legislative Assembly to regulate Uber and other applications responsible for managing the private transport of people.
At about 1:30 pm, taxi drivers circulated in the vicinity of Hatillo 5. First they concentrated on Sabana Oeste, where they intended to deliver a letter to representatives of Televisora de Costa Rica in protest against the broadcast of Uber advertising. Then, they moved to the US Embassy where they intended to deliver a letter of protest to Ambassador Sharon Day.
Why? They say that the US is Uber’s host country, so it has a responsibility and it should intervene so that the Costa Rican State pays a compensation of 20 million colones “for breaking the concession contract” after Uber entered in August 2015.
It ventured in Costa Rica with the complicity of the government in August 2015, creating and bringing hunger and misery to our homes. Therefore, we are here because you as representatives of the Government of the United States of America are the accomplices of our misery, and that is why we ask you to intervene before the Government of Costa Rica and request they pay us the amount for compensation for the breach of our concession contract.”
cites the letter, signed by the National Taxi Organizations Commission.
Since Uber began operations in the country, the situation of the sector changed radically. Today, the US capital company says it has 22,000 drivers and a number of users close to 783,000. That is, almost double the taxi drivers operating under state concession.