Following the announcement of the start of operations of Uber Moto in Mérida, the Observatorio de Movilidad Sostenible warned that it is an out-of-standard service that will bring with it a series of problems and risks for its users.
In the first instance, the observatory pointed out, it is a service that is not explicitly contemplated in the Law of Mobility and Road Safety of the State of Yucatan, since it does not fall under the definition of “Transportation service contracted through technological platforms for passengers”.
He explained that it is not a four-wheeled vehicle, as stated in Article 45, and neither is it classified as “transportation service of passengers in alternative means”, since it is only provided through micro vehicles.
“As a second point, Uber Moto entails unfair competition to the public passenger transportation service and represents a precarization of the on-demand transportation service, by exposing users to inclement weather and, above all, to a higher risk of serious injuries and deaths.”
Members of the Observatory recalled that motorcyclists have come to represent up to 33 percent of those killed in road accidents in the municipality of Mérida, according to their own data.
“The presence of Uber Moto poses an even greater challenge than motorcycle cabs, since motorcycles are capable of reaching much higher speeds than those reached by motorcycle cabs (above 40 km/h), and because of the vehicle’s dimensions, their drivers are more likely to invade lanes and commit other abusive and risky behaviors,” they warned.
To summarize, they pointed out that it is a service with more harm than urban benefits, and since it does not obey public utility reasons, its use should be discouraged as much as possible.
“If regulated, the government of the state of Yucatan, through the Institute of Mobility and Urban Territorial Development and the future Transportation Agency of Yucatan (ATY), should impose strong operating restrictions and high tax burdens,” they considered.
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