Beijing undecided on Uber regulations, no timetable for decision

Private taxi apps like Uber have been raising questions for regulators all across Asia. And in China’s capital, one of Uber’s most important potential Asian markets, the future of Uber-style services is still up in the air. A Beijing Transportation Committee spokesman said on Friday that regulators still can’t come to an agreement about how to treat private car services in the city, and that there is currently no timetable for a decision.

Ultimately, Beijing’s ruling is likely to be follow the national Ministry of Transport’s guidance, and the cause for the delay in a local ruling may be that the national Ministry hasn’t been entirely clear. While it has already issued a statement that some have interpreted as a ban, it does not mention Uber (or any similar domestic services) by name, so at the moment it’s not entirely clear what is permitted. Uber says that it is not banned in China, and neither local nor national authorities seem ready to make a clear statement.

A member of Beijing’s transportation committee said that private-car taxi apps like Uber have technology and funding on their site, but that to enter the transportation industry, they also need to understand its unique characteristics and requirements. First and foremost among those, she said, was satisfying the need for basic safety guarantees for passengers.

See: Uber lands in hot water in China as Chongqing police stage office raid

(Source: Techweb)