In Colombia, among the most popular countries in South America, the success of ridesharing isn’t as grand as those of other nations. Correspondent Isabella Coronado Doria recently wrote a story on Canadian Politics and Public Policy, presenting a timeline of the battle fought by the country’s ridesharing platforms to gain the trust of consumers. It has not been triumphant completely. Here’s the Ridesharing Forum team echoing her words.
“Around the world, Uber has faced fierce resistance from traditional taxi industries threatened by what they deem unfair competition, leading to protests, legal battles, and, in some cases, violent clashes,” Doria opened her story.
While the revenues of Uber in Colombia have since soared high, even the Foundation for Economic Education is alarmed by the state of Uber in this country. There have been several crackdowns hurting operators and drivers.
“Transportation customers in Colombia have long suffered from poor service, inflated prices, and assaults perpetrated by Colombian taxi services. Consumers in Colombia complain that taxi drivers often do not want to take them to their destination, are not available in peak hours, and make them wait for an unreasonable amount of time for service,” the foundation emphasized. “Furthermore, taxi drivers frequently take longer routes in order to charge more.”
Particularly, taxi drivers are wailing about the existence of these Colombian Uber cars.
There have been several tensions, with one of the worst being in 2017 when a cab driver used a brick to smash the window of an Uber vehicle, injuring both the Uber driver and their passenger. You cannot just say this is a common sight that will remind you of the scenes in the video game “Grand Theft Auto.” In fact, these incidents sparked nationwide debates on the legalization of ridesharing apps.
Are they successful? Not quite. Eight years later, the laws are still strict on the ridesharing landscape in Colombia, making the legal status of the platforms uncertain.
Plus, app drivers are still facing harassment from not only taxi drivers but also law enforcement people. Ridesharing drivers and passengers are still subject to penalties because their activities remain unregulated.
“In some ways, hindering Uber’s activity in Colombia is comparable to telling people to abandon the internet and go back to encyclopedias,” the correspondent, who is also an economist and public policy professional from Universidad de los Andes, currently taking her Master’s degree, added. “It highlights the perpetual tension between the status quo and disruptive technology.”
Furthermore, there’s Colombia’s Association of Taxi Owners and Drivers, which is so powerful that one strike they organize makes a huge impact. This association almost has the government under its control, somehow.
So, as for the future of ridesharing in Colombia, the country is like a weirdo at a club party. While other nations welcome ridesharing with open arms, Colombia is resisting change.
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