In a joint press statement Djump and Uber welcome minister Pascal Smet’s plans to establish a legal framework for ridesharing. “The Brussels government is playing a leading role in the heart of Europe,” both partners say.

“The government’s plan recognizes that affordability, public safety and consumer choices go hand in hand,” Djump and Uber commented. “We are convinced that this is a basis for clear rules to regulate ridesharing services in Brussels.”

The two companies are already looking forward “to work constructively” with the implementation of this plan. “As the capital of Europe, Brussels shows the way forward by regulating ridesharing as an alternative to get around in the city.”

The united front of the Brussels taxis and the social partners are furious about the “hastily approved Taxi Plan” and the opening made to alternative services such as Uber and will let the demonstration already announced for March 3, continue “as the government remains deaf to the comments of the taxi sector.” The fact that Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort now invites us to “a consultation meeting about the Taxi Plan” the sector sees as pure manipulation. “What can this consultation meeting produce, given the fact that the plan has already been approved by the government?”

“More than a week the industry representatives have said they wanted to be heard by the government because they had major reservations about parts of the plan. A number of initiatives are a serious threat to the future work of the 3,000 professional taxi drivers in the Brussels Region.”

The taxi associations are threatening action and do not rule out that they will be grim or even violent. “Until now we have managed to keep our people calm, but now we can no longer guarantee they will remain calm,” said Sam Bouchal of FNEIT, an association of independent taxi drivers. The taxi sector demands equal rights and duties for all taxis, no tax (or other) privileges for Uber and no social dumping.

• Uber and Djump happy; the taxi sector will be demonstrating.