Uber in Trinidad and Tobago - TO PAUSE OPERATION May 30 2018

[Monk BANzai]

"at this time…there is a lack of a proper environment for innovation and technology to thrive in Trinidad and Tobago”.

a proper slap in the face though...

[toyolink]

The legal constraints Uber was faced with fundamentally meant they were operating outside the law and the position of the state showed a complete unwillingness to facilitate this type of business.
On top of everything the murder of a driver and reports which suggest criminals could and have targeted Uber drivers has yielded this result.
Support for Uber type service is the last thing on the average citizens mind at this time and certainly no significant public pressure is evident to cause popular validation of this service.
Its very likely a Uber driver going to the police to report a robbery perpetrated by a passenger would have met treatment which PH drivers suffer (what yuh doing illegal and unsafe anyway).

[sMASH]

"at this time…there is a lack of a proper environment for innovation and technology to thrive in Trinidad and Tobago”.

a proper slap in the face though...

finally, somebody with weight behind their name saying it out loud!!!

this place is a sheit hole country.

[Monk BANzai]

"at this time…there is a lack of a proper environment for innovation and technology to thrive in Trinidad and Tobago”.

a proper slap in the face though...

finally, somebody with weight behind their name saying it out loud!!!

this place is a sheit hole country.

not only that...as a colleauge of mine said " I would love the likes of Lok Jack GSB to do a case study on the entrance and exit of UBER."

It's more the taint on the palette of foreign direct investors that may cause a bitter taste for those contemplating entry into Trinidad.

[sMASH]

Things like Uber ARE the future, but this place, from captain to cook, is averse to intelligent progression.

Their idea of progress is to have a few laptops per school and teachers have to time share laptops.
IN 20FLIPPIN18!!!
... A laptop is considered revered technology

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

[Daran]

Things like Uber ARE the future, but this place, from captain to cook, is averse to intelligent progression.

Their idea of progress is to have a few laptops per school and teachers have to time share laptops.
IN 20FLIPPIN18!!!
... A laptop is considered revered technology

And yet people bad talk kams when they did this. Oh well, I had hopes for Trinidad being first world one day but sadly we are regression.

[Daran]

So red tape then

[sMASH]

More like bank account deposit

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Only in trinidad good services like these would never work...3rd world status all the way...I used uber and lyft abroad and would never complain...

[bluefete]

People could make all the excuses they want - as I pointed out in the Taxi thread - UBER WAS OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN T&T.

Waiting for Zoomie to come and blame the PNM!

[meccalli]

RIP in advance.

Page 1 lol.

[ruffneck_12]

RIP in advance.

Page 1 lol.

ur a goddamn visionary :'(

[eliteauto]

plenty Noahs who know, turns out they know nothing *insert industry jargon full of irrelevance

[meccalli]

ur a goddamn visionary :'(

It's difficult to have not seen this coming.

My main concern would obviously be how safe this would be. I mean this service comes at a time when the country is probably at its worse time crime wise. How can you be sure the uber driver that picks you up is safe to go with, or if you are an uber driver that the customers u pick up aren't out to rob/kidnap you.

“To say I’m sad is an understatement. I’m sure there’s more to this story. I find it reprehensible that I was almost killed and my car taken and nothing (has been) done (to date),” he said.

“I feel horrible about it...they have all the information about drivers but we have barely any information about passengers. It was like a field day and it will continue to be…we’re soft targets, and I feel so bad for this guy,” he said.
http://www.looptt.com/content/i-ran-my-life-says-driver

[pugboy]

so has the Minister met with the PH drivers association about their insurance coverage and how they are paying paye taxes etc ?

[Daran]

People could make all the excuses they want - as I pointed out in the Taxi thread - UBER WAS OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN T&T.

Waiting for Zoomie to come and blame the PNM!

LOL how so?

[De Dragon]

With the release of that statement, the GORTT has made T&T appear as not only a backwater, but a protectionist backwater.

[eliteauto]

With the release of that statement, the GORTT has made T&T appear as not only a backwater, but a protectionist backwater.

requesting information on insurance and taxation systems is backwater?

[Daran]

With the release of that statement, the GORTT has made T&T appear as not only a backwater, but a protectionist backwater.

requesting information on insurance and taxation systems is backwater?

No, but Uber was pretty clear about insurance and even had their own insurance cover passengers in the event of an accident.

Taxation is a nonissue because Uber is merely the intermediary agent between passenger and driver, you're paying them to use their marketplace. Lots and lots of other companies operate in Trinidad without fuss with similar business models. Have you seen any countries ban Uber because of taxation? It can be considered a grey area by some....lots of cases have been made by large Taxi companies in the UK and other places, but that issue should be settled in court while Uber operates. Regarding tax of the drivers, legally they are liable to pay self employed income tax, but that's not Uber's responsbility.

Running Uber out of the country sets us back significantly. My ex came down for carnival was so glad Uber was around (although she complain they had no Uber available for carnival, another story).

People don't understand how much having an uber like company improves efficency.

[eliteauto]

no one ran Uber out of the country, Uber failed and their departure doesn't set back the country in any way, worse yet "significantly". Our laws didn't affect Uber because their business model worldwide is based on being an industry disruptor predicated upon the same laws and resistance seen here. Trinidad is backwater but Australia, France and China isn't? They failed which for any company not factoring in their target demographic, geographic limitations, driver/customer culture and forex accessibility is as 21st century business as it gets. Ironically in the same timeframe as Uber existed several small non-app based transport companies sprung up and grew, to the point that at least one now leases cars from a dealership and is serving a large energy company locally. There are also drivers within the Uber framework who created networks for themselves who will fill the void created by their departure. I wished the stuck around a little longer though but such is life

[Daran]

no one ran Uber out of the country, Uber failed and their departure doesn't set back the country in any way, worse yet "significantly". Our laws didn't affect Uber because their business model worldwide is based on being an industry disruptor predicated upon the same laws and resistance seen here. Trinidad is backwater but Australia, France and China isn't? They failed which for any company not factoring in their target demographic, geographic limitations, driver/customer culture and forex accessibility is as 21st century business as it gets. Ironically in the same timeframe as Uber existed several small non-app based transport companies sprung up and grew, to the point that at least one now leases cars from a dealership and is serving a large energy company locally. There are also drivers within the Uber framework who created networks for themselves who will fill the void created by their departure. I wished the stuck around a little longer though but such is life

Target demographic is a huge issue, to user Uber you need a credit card (apparently cash payment is available which I didn't know), a smartphone with a data plan and some degree of trust (really lacking given the crime situation and number of accidents). It was going to be a challenge, but their message is clear, Trinidad's enviroment does not foster innovative modern business.

And perception-wise, not having Uber sets us back in the view of visitors. I've tried the other Taxi apps actually, none of them come close to Uber and rightfully so, Uber is a billion-dollar tech company.

[RedVEVO]

A private vehicle is not to be used for hire or commercial use according to our laws. It is only for personal use.

And crime .

[De Dragon]

With the release of that statement, the GORTT has made T&T appear as not only a backwater, but a protectionist backwater.

requesting information on insurance and taxation systems is backwater?

No, but refusing to create an environment where the ease of doing business is. Stating protectionism as your reasoning is also backwater. Turning a blind eye while PH drivers outnumber registered taxis shows you don't give a fack about the "local transportation industry".

[sMASH]

With the release of that statement, the GORTT has made T&T appear as not only a backwater, but a protectionist backwater.

So the OPT, the 'management' of who get USd, the closing of walls ice cream, and the gun license desk/filing cabinet system didn't clue u into how protectionist this place is?

This place is averse to efficiency

[sMASH]

Uber was.. Is a way to utilize the down time of a private vehicle to make it profitable or supplementary income generating, while an efficient means of taxi sourcing.

Our laws does not allow for the use of a privet vehicle for hire.

What ever reason it was made so in the past, present technology and data basing can mitigate a lot of the safeguard Ur us meant to achieve. Probably surpass it.

Albeit it's quits easy to get a taxi badge and taxi, just a tad more expensive with insurance and inspection, the additional conditions of police having access to comsndere Ur car makes it less than attractive to get.

Uber wast supposed to be a 9-5 job.. Just a means of satisfying a niche while maximizing a resource already there.

[RedVEVO]

Wondering if trinis mature enough to use Uber they way it was intended.

Uber close down because of crime.

PNM closed own Uber .

[ProtonPowder]

Definition of a catch 22

Is 'red tape' causing the blockage of private business to thrive in Trinidad when they want Uber to comply with local laws.

BUT

If the government let uber run amok, not disclosing insurance and tax info, then people will cry that the govt letting the 1% stay outside the law

[RedVEVO]

Definition of a catch 22

Is 'red tape' causing the blockage of private business to thrive in Trinidad when they want Uber to comply with local laws.

BUT

If the government let uber run amok, not disclosing insurance and tax info, then people will cry that the govt letting the 1% stay outside the law

What is your problem with the 1 % ?

Where is Uber and 1% mix ?

Why all this "rum shop" talk Protein Head ?

Uber shut down because of PNM crime.

Did you not read how Uber drivers were attacked and one murdered ?

[ProtonPowder]

Definition of a catch 22

Is 'red tape' causing the blockage of private business to thrive in Trinidad when they want Uber to comply with local laws.

BUT

If the government let uber run amok, not disclosing insurance and tax info, then people will cry that the govt letting the 1% stay outside the law

What is your problem with the 1 % ?

Where is Uber and 1% mix ?

Why all this "rum shop" talk Protein Head ?

Uber shut down because of PNM crime.

Did you not read how Uber drivers were attacked and one murdered ?

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 07436.html

A list of countries which have banned Uber. Uber pre-emptively left Trinidad to avoid being added to that list. Read the reasons why uber was banned in those countries. Look familiar?