Dear Minister-Président Rudi Vervoort,
Dear Brussels government,
On Wednesday 14 October 2015 at 11:59PM we will stop uberPOP. Although this was inevitable following a recent court order, stopping uberPOP impacts tens of thousands of people in Brussels who rely on Uber’s affordable services. It also hurts hundreds of Bruxellois counting on Uber to support their families.
Yet, professional services like our uberX platform can provide a way forward. Time to focus on where progress is needed: job creation, more transparency and accountability, and creating much needed alternatives to private car use in Europe’s second most congested city.
With 20% unemployment, many Bruxellois are desperately looking for a job, and many uberPOP partner-drivers and taxi drivers have told us they want to work on our platform as self-employed uberX driver-partners. Self-employed uberX driver-partners are fully vetted, insured and licensed drivers. Holding a valid VAT number, they are subject to exactly the same social contributions, income tax and VAT obligations as self-employed taxi drivers.
But today’s taxi and private hire legislation is holding progress back. Thousands more people could get a job by introducing fairly straightforward reforms, like lowering excessive educational requirements barriers to become self-employed and scrapping requirements for a licensed driver’s car to cost at least €37.671. Good service does not depend on whether the car is an S-class Mercedes; or on an understanding of advanced accounting.
A 20 year old decree is keeping prices high by preventing competition and blocking consumer choice. Brussels has become the only major European capital that still does not have a thriving taxi- and private hire sector. Amsterdam, Paris, London, are just examples of where professional services like uberX are flourishing: people have better and more affordable transportation, it is creating thousands of jobs and it is encouraging people to leave their car at home.
25.652 people who signed our petition have asked you to finish what you started. Seven months ago you presented a progressive taxi plan to reform a 20 year old decree: you acknowledged Brussels needed modern legislation unlocking competition, creating jobs, and improving affordable consumer choice. Sadly, little has happened since.
Your colleague Didier Gosuin, the Brussels Minister in charge of Economy and Employment, recently said that “Digital Brussels represents 20,000 jobs. This is the future of our region.” We agree, and we would like to meet you to further discuss how we can work together to achieve this.
Regards,
Filip Nuytemans,
General Manager Uber Belgium
