Brussels OKs Uber driver services
The Brussels government has approved a temporary measure that will allow Uber drivers to continue to offer their services in the Belgian and Flemish capital. Uber drivers will have to adhere to strict rules. The temporary measure will stay in place till new legislation on taxi services in Brussels is enacted.
The move will allow vehicles with drivers to accept orders via the Uber app after the Brussels appeal court earlier ruled that Uber drivers as providers of limousine services i.e., vehicles with driver and not taxis couldn’t accept last minute fares ordered via the app.
Drivers will have to prove that they provide limousine services at least twenty hours a week. In this way the government hopes to protect the income of drivers who are highly reliant on this job. They will only be able to accept fares from customers who order the trip via an (online) platform and can’t pick up custom in the street. Parking on the public highway and on places reserved for taxis is banned. Drivers may not use bus lanes.
Platforms like Uber can request temporary recognition if they are registered in Belgium. They will also have to provide the Brussels mobility agency with information about drivers and the conditions they must meet to join the platform.
Brussels PM Vervoort (Francophone socialist) says the arrangement respects court rulings on the platforms used by taxi-hailing services and paves the way for legislation on a professional statute for these drivers.
