(QCR) The newly appointed and controversial Deputy Minister of Transport, Liza Castillo, hinted this week of the possibility of the government legalizing Uber in the country.
In a statement to the press, Castillo said, “at the government level action is being taken to find a solution to the situation. Measures are being established to formalize what the procedure would be.”
Asked directly if that meant Uber would be legalized, Castillo replied, “we are looking into all the options”.
As to the accusations of her using the “illegal” ride share service, Castillo said, “I am not a user of Uber, I have not downloaded the app(lication), I believe in the formal system (legal taxis) and I believe in the ability of the formal system to modernize.”
According to the Deputy Minister, her concern is that the Uber system further complicates traffic congestion as the service promotes low-capacity vehicles, that is to say, more cars on the road instead of mass transit systems.
As to her being able to testify before an Administrative Court on the charges filed against her by a group of taxis drivers who say they have proof of Castillo using Uber, the Deputy Minister would only say she is waiting on a directive from her boss, Carlos Villalta, the Minister of Transport.
