Córdoba: Uber rejects the ordinance that limits quotas and warns about thousands of drivers

Uber strongly criticized the project approved by the Public Services Commission of the Córdoba City Council. The focus is on the limit of authorized vehicles. "The proposal is absurd," stated Juan Labaqui, Uber's Communications Manager for the Southern Cone.

The text sets a cap of 3,998 cars, with one license for every 375 residents, which, according to Uber, excludes the majority of current drivers. "Six years after the first Uber ride in Córdoba, the response is to limit incomes," said Labaqui. 

Internal data indicate that more than 15,000 people drove at least once a month with Uber in the last quarter of 2024. "With that quota, you'd be excluding about 11,000 people who currently have a source of income," he added. The project was promoted by Hacemos Unidos por Córdoba and regulates the operation of all apps.

Uber warns that the ordinance imposes an obsolete and difficult-to-apply logic

The most controversial point of the project is Article 9, which limits the number of vehicles based on the census. Uber rejects that rigid criterion. "You're setting a limit as if this were a taxi service, when platforms operate dynamically," Labaqui argued.

The company insists that many drivers work only a few hours, while others do so full-time. "You're going to need a system to control how many are driving, at what time, and how often. It's impracticable," said Labaqui.

Uber also questions the  lack of guarantees regarding the handling of drivers' personal data.  It considers that there is no clarity about how it will be used. "Will it be used only for that? It's not clear," the spokesperson warned about access to sensitive information.

Additionally, he reported that they were never called to discuss the initiative. "No one from Uber was called to engage in a serious dialogue," said Labaqui. Uber thus reproaches having been excluded from the legislative debate on this ordinance that seeks to ban private transportation.

The company questions the social and economic impact of limiting access to the platform

Uber claims to be willing to collaborate on regulation, but demands a realistic approach. "We're available to explain how the system works," he stated. He also criticized Córdoba for not adopting models already implemented in other cities in the country and the region.

The ruling party defended the limit to protect taxis and remises, but Uber refutes this by assuring that many taxi drivers already operate on the platform without conflict. "Today, there are more than 1,200 taxi drivers in Córdoba who use Uber every month. That isn't the destruction of the system, it's integration," he affirmed.

Regarding the fare scheme, Uber doesn't question that rides can't cost less than the urban ticket. However, it warns about its combined effect. "If you eliminate thousands of drivers and leave the same number of users, the fare will rise on its own," Labaqui explained.

The company keeps that the measure would raise prices and cause more delays. "What you're creating is more expensive, less accessible mobility with longer waits," he warned. This measure was established as a servile mechanism to protect the traditional transportation industry, one of the many sources of revenue for Daniel Passerini.

Uber anticipates a public campaign if the ordinance is approved as drafted

The company didn't confirm whether it will resort to legal action, but it did anticipate that it will make its rejection public. "We're going to be very vocal. We want to make it clear why this is nonsense," Labaqui emphasized.

He also questioned the lack of transparency in the allocation of future licenses. Thus, Uber fears that there won't be clear rules for those who want to join. "Who decides who gets into the quota? Do you have to wait in line? Do you have to register at a window?" Labaqui asked.

Uber doesn't oppose requirements such as a professional license or registration with ARCA. However, it asks to avoid political obstacles that become barriers to access. "One thing is to require a license; another is for it to be so difficult to obtain or renew that it becomes a barrier to entry," he argued.

Finally, the company questioned the requirement for physical identification on cars. "Technology is much safer than a sticker," its spokesperson opined. This way, it proposes using facial verification or unique codes instead of analog methods.