Seven months after it launched with fanfare in Thailand, Uber was declared to be operating illegally today by Thailand’s top transportation official.
Department of Land Transport chief Teerapong Rodprasert said Uber’s drivers were not registered or licensed, and the service ignored government regulation while discriminating against consumers who lacked credit cards.
It’s another setback for the ride-sharing service, which exploded globally with its high-end Uber Black and regular Uber X services, but has faced growing pains and image problems abroad for complaints of sexism and mishandling customer privacy.
The smartphone app service’s use of license plates similar to airport limousines was in contravention of their approved use, Teerapong said.
Further, he said the service’s pricing structure was not compliant with government mandated rates, which are set to rise next month for regular taxi services.
Uber drivers may be fined upward of THB4,000 for these violations, he added. The solution? Use regular taxis, Teerapong said.
As a “disruptive” service which has moved into established personal transportation markets around the world, Uber has faced mixed results. Some cities have banned it outright.
Traditional taxi industries have been especially keen to drive it out of the marketplace. The rate for Uber X started below the already affordable cost for a regular cab in the Thai capital.
Source: Bangkok Post
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