Taxi regulation in a modern society
Is this a form of taxi that has to follow laws and regulations valid for taxis? Are you allowed as a private driver to share the costs with your passengers?
Amy Rader Olsson presented during an ITRL breakfast seminar about the ongoing Governmental Inquiry on new conditions for taxis and car sharing, which she is leading. The background is that new transportation network companies have appeared in the market, such as Uber and Heetch, which offer new kind of taxi services. The legal status of these services has been unclear. In addition, there are many apps available that offer help to arrange car sharing between private car drivers and potential passengers. Is this a form of taxi that has to follow laws and regulations valid for taxis? Are you allowed as a private driver to share the costs with your passengers? These are also unclear issues. The inquiry's mandate is to propose possible changes in current laws and regulations for taxis and car sharing to enable new technological solutions and promote environmentally friendly traveling without compromising passenger safety or the authorities' possibilities to collect necessary information for taxation and to check that current laws and regulations are followed.