Transport Authority to recommend compliant ride-hailing service providers

The Transport Authority is to submit a list of local ride-hailing service providers that are compliant with public transport regulations, the transport ministry says. 

The update follows today's meeting of a technical working group that met today following the Government's ban on ride-hailing services because of a "national security concern". 

Tuesday's announced came a day after the police reported the murder of Danielle Anglin, a 29-year-old teacher. She went missing after using a ride-hailing service. 

Representatives from the transport and telecommunications ministry and the Transport Authority met with local ride-hailing operators over the ban. 

Today, the technical working group, with representatives from the ministry, the authority, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, met to review the operators' concerns and "to devise a strategy to ensure the safety of passengers and the continuation of operations for those entities who are or are willing to comply with the local regime," the ministry said in a statement.

It said recommendations under consideration include removing any restriction in relation to local ride-hailing operators that only engage drivers and use vehicles which are compliant with the requirements of the Transport Authority for operating a public passenger service. 

On that issue, the Transport Authority is to submit its recommendation on compliant service providers to Transport Minister Daryl Vaz. 

There is also a recommendation for increased collaboration between the Transport Authority and the police to assist in the determination of the ride-hailing entities that meet certain security standards. 

It is being contemplated that international ride hailing operators be required to comply with existing requirements for the provision of public passenger services.

Among the requirements will be for those foreign operators to establish a local presence in Jamaica and to engage the Transport Authority to facilitate the vetting of potential drivers for fit and proper purposes and vehicles for suitability.

It is also being recommended that the requirements for overseas-based operators to be put into the law.

"At present, Uber remains the only foreign-based provider to have engaged in discussions with the Government of Jamaica to ensure that its operations, in all its facets, complies with local requirements," the statement said.

The ministry says the Transport Authority has received a proposal from Uber, coming out of a series of meetings held before the imposition of the ban, regarding legal and regulatory concerns with its ride-hailing operations.

Ride-sharing or hailing involves ​travelling in a private vehicle driven by its owner, free or for a fee. The service is generally arranged using an Internet-based application or website.

On Tuesday, Jamaica announced a 12-month ban, with immediate effect, on ride-hailing transport services, including inDrive, Uber, 876OnTheGo, Lyft and Ride Jamaica, because of a "national security concern".  

Vaz has released a letter dated June 4 to telecoms provider, Flow, advising that "effectively immediately", the company and its affiliates "are directed to restrict access to all ride-hailing applications via its network".

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