DVLA to Regulate Operations of Uber/Taxify

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) says said it will deploy new regulatory requirements for digital transport operators like Uber and Taxify, beginning in the first quarter of 2019.

According to Kwasi Agyeman Busia, DVLA Chief Executive Officer, said the Authority had engaged and concluded negotiations with management of Uber and Taxify on modalities to regulate their operations.

Mr Agyeman Busia said this at the opening of a two-day DVLA Strategic Review Conference on the theme: “Continuity of Excellent Service Delivery: For Growth, Safety and Security,” which will assess and review implementation of its two-year strategic plan.

He said they had concluded on the need to identify and differentiate Uber or Taxify cars from other private cars.

“It will be a sticker to uniquely identify Uber or other digital transports, and that will be ready towards the end of this quarter,” he said.

The guidelines, he said, would also include Uber and Taxify cars undergoing road-worthy certification twice a year, as all commercial vehicles do.

“Previously, if you have a private car, you do not have to do that, but now, they will have to do so because they use it both as a private and commercial car,” he noted.

Mr. Agyeman Busia also stated that most importantly, Uber and Taxify or cars used for digital taxi services would have to be insured to ensure that in the event of an accident, passengers would be covered.

He explained that this was a very important aspect of the regulations since such cars, which were originally private cars, now pick passengers.