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Mobility minister files complaint against Uber

11:18 17/12/2014

Elke Sleurs, state secretary for combatting tax fraud, has ordered tax authorities to look into the returns of drivers linked to the controversial “ride-sharing” service Uber. While insisting she was not against innovation, Sleurs said that Uber had to respect existing Belgian regulations. “If it turns out that Uber is guilty of tax evasion, or encourages it, then we will carry out careful checks and impose penalties,” she told De Standaard.

Meanwhile, Brussels mobility minister Pascal Smet has filed a legal complaint against Uber for failing to respect social security regulations. The minister, who banned Uber from the Brussels streets earlier this year, said he would introduce regulations next year to cover services such as Uber, which critics simply call an unregulated taxi service.

However, Smet has decided to approve a new taxi service in Brussels that will use motorised rickshaws, or tuk-tuks. They are to be allowed to operate on two routes – one with stops at Bourse, South Station, Avenue Louise and Porte de Namur, and the other connecting Rue du Bailli and Place Flagey.

The company Mobiloo has been given a permit to run a fleet of 10 tuk-tuks in Brussels, with the number rising to 15 if the project proves a success. A single ride in one of the open-air vehicles, which come equipped with wi-fi, a phone charger, music and magazines, will cost €4 for one person and €5 for a couple.

Smet said the new vehicles are classified as motor bikes. “They are small and run on electricity, so are environmentally friendly,” he told the website brusselnieuws.be. “We will incorporate them into the new taxi plan that we are drawing up next year to ensure they are safe.”

Written by Derek Blyth