Business
Uber returns to Slovakia after over a year
At the end of March 2018, a Slovak court ordered Uber to suspend its operations in the country, responding to an action by taxi drivers who say the U.S.-based ride-hailing service represented unfair competition.
The Bratislava-based Association of certified taxi drivers filed the lawsuit in January, arguing Uber drivers do not meet the requirements for professional taxi drivers and the cars do not meet the safety and regulatory requirements for professional transport services.
“We’re glad that we can return to Bratislava with a fully licensed service currently available in the Uber app," said Ash Kebriti, general manager of Uber for the Central and Eastern Europe region, as quoted in a press release.
One of the reasons for re-launching the service now is the ice hockey world championship, which starts in Slovakia on 10 May. However, Uber will not launch the app in Ko¹ice, which is also hosting the matches, Kebriti told a press conference, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Uber’s return is ensured by a law amendment adopted in April. It was the Ministry of Transport that worked out a proposal which softens the conditions for gaining a licence to provide a taxi service. Under the new regulations, drivers do not need to take the expertise ability exam. Having a driving license, passing psychological tests and a certificate of health are enough now. Taxi services are not required to have compulsory parking spots, daily newspaper Sme reported in mid-April.
Kebriti noted that they were monitoring the Slovakian market even after they turned off their app there, and found that even after they pulled out last March, the app was opened more than 250,000 times in Bratislava.
The Hungarian government also drove Uber out of the country.
The Bratislava-based Association of certified taxi drivers filed the lawsuit in January, arguing Uber drivers do not meet the requirements for professional taxi drivers and the cars do not meet the safety and regulatory requirements for professional transport services.
“We’re glad that we can return to Bratislava with a fully licensed service currently available in the Uber app," said Ash Kebriti, general manager of Uber for the Central and Eastern Europe region, as quoted in a press release.
One of the reasons for re-launching the service now is the ice hockey world championship, which starts in Slovakia on 10 May. However, Uber will not launch the app in Ko¹ice, which is also hosting the matches, Kebriti told a press conference, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Uber’s return is ensured by a law amendment adopted in April. It was the Ministry of Transport that worked out a proposal which softens the conditions for gaining a licence to provide a taxi service. Under the new regulations, drivers do not need to take the expertise ability exam. Having a driving license, passing psychological tests and a certificate of health are enough now. Taxi services are not required to have compulsory parking spots, daily newspaper Sme reported in mid-April.
Kebriti noted that they were monitoring the Slovakian market even after they turned off their app there, and found that even after they pulled out last March, the app was opened more than 250,000 times in Bratislava.
The Hungarian government also drove Uber out of the country.
