The Civic Movement Somos TVDE accused this Monday, 24th, the Uber and Bolt platforms of imposing illegal ‘dumping’ practices and demands the “immediate end of these illegal practices”, in addition to the “urgent” creation of a self-regulatory agency.
In a statement, the Civic Movement Somos TVDE “vehemently condemned the systematic lies that Uber and Bolt continue to spread in the press and on podcasts”, stressing that the reality is “very different” from what Uber recently considered “specific adjustments” to fares.
“Since 2018, average fares per kilometer have fallen from around 90 cents to 54 cents and, in the vast majority of current trips, the amounts actually paid are between 35 and 42 cents per kilometer, making the sector economically unsustainable”, says the note.
For the Movement, “even more serious” is the fact that platforms impose, in daily practice, “predatory tariffs that force drivers to practice ‘dumping’ [prestação de um serviço por valor inferior ao custo efetivo de exploração]a practice expressly prohibited by Decree-Law no. 166/2013”.
Furthermore, the Movement says that the prohibition is also reinforced by the Competition Law and by “ordinances no. 48/2019 and no. 264/2019, which regulate TVDE activity and require tariff transparency and sustainability in accordance with Law no. 45/2018, of August 10”
“By forcing values that are clearly lower than the average cost of operating a TVDE vehicle (estimated between €0.65 and €0.75/km), the platforms commit and force drivers to commit permanent illegality, exposing them to sanctions and perpetuating the precariousness of the sector”, he denounces.
In this way, the Movement demands the “immediate end” of what it considers to be illegal practices, in addition to the “urgent creation of a Self-Regulatory Agency to define mandatory minimum tariffs that respect the law and restore dignity to drivers and millions of euros in taxes to the State” and also the creation of an Arbitration Center for the sector.
The Movement also reports that it has already held a hearing with the Secretary of State for Infrastructure and Mobility and has scheduled hearings, one of which with the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Public Works and Housing on December 4th.
Last week, Uber and the National Industry and Energy Union (Sindel) signed a memorandum of understanding that defines a new model of work through digital platforms, with protections adapted to the reality of these workers.
The memorandum also establishes that Uber will guarantee that no courier or driver who chooses to be represented by Sindel “will receive an income lower than the national minimum wage during the periods in which they are providing services through their platforms, regardless of the prices charged to consumers”.
On Friday, the Portuguese Association of Disabled Car Transporters (APTAD) sent a letter to Uber Portugal expressing its “absolute indignation at the new unilateral reduction in fares” by the platform.
In a letter to which Lusa had access, the president of APTAD, Ivo Fernandes, said that the decision taken by Uber Portugal, “with the kilometer dropping to €0.52 and the minute remaining at the unacceptable €0.08”, this reduction is “irresponsible, unjustifiable and reveals a total disregard for the drivers and operators who provide the service on a daily basis”.
For its part, Uber Portugal said that it did not carry out any “indiscriminate reduction in fares”, but that it occasionally adjusts its components according to the market, after an association of transport companies criticized a “new unilateral reduction in fares”.