The Government of Saint Lucia has instructed Uber to suspend its operations in the country, citing non-compliance with regulatory requirements. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, said this much was conveyed in a letter to the ride-hailing company.
Noting that there are specific requirements for the company to operate in Saint Lucia, he said that Uber has not obtained a trade license, registered with the Inland Revenue Department for tax purposes, or been certified under the Tourism Development Act.
“We indicated to them that our position as expressed in a letter which I sent to Uber, was that they were not fulfilling our regulatory requirement for them to operate in St Lucia, and we pointed out to them what those regulatory requirements were,” he said.
Dr. Hilaire emphasized that government had made its position clear to Uber and the Taxi Union. “We met with Uber, and we expressed those sentiments … and we indicated to them that in our view, they were operating illegally in St Lucia.”
Uber has promised a follow-up meeting to discuss their concerns. Dr. Hilaire told reporters that a second letter was sent to the company reminding them of their non-compliance. “Up to yesterday I sent them a second letter reminding them that they are operating illegally in Saint Lucia and that we should meet to discuss this matter,” he said.
The government will meet with the National Taxi Union this week to discuss the way forward.
” Our tourism industry depends very heavily on the taxi sector as well (the) movement of tourists around the island. And therefore, we would want to be very clear that any player that comes into that space fulfill all the requirements set up by legislation,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has announced the Barbados government’s position on Uber, confidently reassuring Barbadians that the platform will not disadvantage local taxi operators.
The Barbados Prime Minister who was speaking on the second day of the Barbados Labour Party’s 86th Annual Conference at Queen’s Park on Saturday, said the government had taken steps to ensure fair competition as the service expands across the island.
For this winter season, she said Uber will not be able to operate out of the Bridgetown Port, and there will be fair play at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
She reiterated that her administration remains committed to creating a level playing field for all transport providers, emphasizing that regulatory fairness must guide the integration of new technology-driven services into the Barbados market.