Uber taxi services ‘illegal in Bahrain’
THE popular Uber ride-sharing taxi service, which works on an app, is illegal in Bahrain, according to a senior traffic official.
“Uber services (in Bahrain) are illegal as they do not comply with (government) regulations,” said traffic culture director Lieutenant Colonel Osama Bahar.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a Press conference at the Traffic Directorate headquarters in Isa Town.
“We are in talks with the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry to deal with this issue as well as that of rental cars being used as illegal taxis.”
The GDN contacted Uber but it did not comment on its operations in Bahrain.
However, a company spokesperson had told the GDN in 2015 that as a technology company Uber did not own cars or employ drivers, but partnered with licensed operators, who in turn had their own fleets.
Lt Col Bahar also said the department was going tough against illegal taxi drivers with non-Bahrainis caught offering such services being deported and fined BD1,000.
“We arrested 217 illegal taxi drivers last year (2016) who were jailed, fined and deported.
“These days illegal taxi drivers are smartly dressed and pick up passengers in new cars making it difficult for us to identify them.”
He said his department had also come across cases of drivers renting out cars from companies and using them as taxis.
Traffic General Director Colonel Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulwahab Al Khalifa who chaired the meeting said they were monitoring traffic movements and violations round the clock.
“We have taken action against street racing and stunt drivers,” he said.
“For example, during National Day celebrations we booked 100 drivers after receiving complaints of noise pollution. In some cases the vehicles were impounded.”
Complaints of illegal bike races, especially during this time of the year when the weather cools down, were also being looked into, he said.
