On Wednesday night, after more than five hours of meeting between the Presidency and the taxi drivers, these transporters agreed to suspend their demonstrations. Representatives of the union assured to be satisfied with the agreements reached with the Executive Power. The group insists on regulating and intervening in the way Uber operates.
Minutes before 10:30 p.m., the drivers crowded on the outskirts of Presidential House in Zapote celebrated and applauded the results. After the dialogue, taxi drivers will not hold demonstrations on Thursday.
In the meeting there were two ministers and three deputy ministers: Juan Carlos Mendoza, Minister of Communication, and Luis Adrián Salazar, Minister of Science and Technology, as well as deputy minister Eduardo Brenes (MOPT); Juan Alfaro, who occupies the position on an interim basis; and Edwin Estrada, vice minister of Telecommunications.
After the meeting Mendoza highlighted the dialogue and announced 10 agreements:
-Respect for the law that regulates remunerated transportation of people, to find a definitive solution to the transport problem.
-Reaffirmation that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport will lead the effort to regulate transport modalities. The Ministries of Labor and Science and Technology (MICITT) will accompany.
-Taxi drivers agree to respect the mixed work commissions defined by the MOPT.
-The government is committed to achieving a space with the General Superintendence of Financial Institutions (SUGEF) and the National Council of Supervision of the Financial System (CONASSIF).
-The government will schedule a meeting with the Minister of Finance and the taxi sector to assess the tax implications of the operation of irregular transport service platforms.
-MICITT and the Ministry of Economy will talk about the scope of the pattern executed by irregular transport services.
-The government undertakes to investigate, through the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) whether the decree that empowers Uber to operate within the free zone regime is being complied with in its scope and restrictions.
-The government will intensify controls on transport services that operate outside regulations.
-Executive commitment to dialogue as long as there are no measures like stuck traffic.
-Taxi drivers will submit a formal petition to the Governing Council to have a position on the cessation of Uber.
We’ll apply the full weight of the law to ensure the safety and free movement of citizenship,”
said Mendoza, saying that agreements will be suspended if taxi drivers took the streets again.