Lawmaker Melinda Chan Mei Yi asked the government on Thursday whether it should consider Uber’s petition last week as an act of organised crime.
Chan, who heads the Sin Meng Charity Association, made the remarks during a plenary debate on the government’s draft of a new taxi service regulation in the legislative hemicycle. The regulation has not been amended since 1999.
The proposed changes also include the possibility of “passive sting operations” by plainclothes police and the voluntary installation of recording equipment in taxis.
Chan then went on to slam the government’s lack of response to the petition by Uber Macau last week: “While I support the use of an app as an online platform for taxi services, as it is no different from the pagers in the past, but the government must stand firm on its stance: that only licensed taxis can operate in Macau!”
Chan pointed that since Uber’s business model is illegal in Macau, the company shouldn’t be allowed to organise a group of people to hand in a petition in the hope of putting pressure on the government to swing the law in their favour.
She added that the act should be considered an act of organised crime.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario, who was present, did not reply to Chan’s remarks during the session.
Uber Macau submitted a petition, addressed to Rosario, on 4July, urging the government to legalise its business.
The petition contained about 3,000 emails from residents, frequent visitors to the city and Uber drivers that they had printed out.
(Macau Post/The Macau Post Daily)
