A notification by the Punjab Transport Authority stated that Uber, Careem and A-One taxi services are illegally using private vehicles for transportation. This, in turn, was causing the provincial government financial losses. They further added that private cars were being used to provide taxi services without the issuance of the mandatory car-fitness certificate and route permit.
The notification further added that security clearance of drivers was also not sought from the government hence stern action would be taken against such companies.
Talking to media, Chairman of the Punjab IT board Umar Saif said the provincial government had decided to bring Uber, Careem and A-One Cab services into tax net.
Talking to media, Chairman of the Punjab IT board Umar Saif said the provincial government had decided to bring Uber, Careem and A-One Cab services into tax net.
Umer Saif said such services come under network service tax, adding that government will bring reforms regarding this kind of tax.
He said the provincial government was in contact with mobile-application taxi service provider companies and hoped the issue would be resolved at the earliest.
He said the provincial government was in contact with mobile-application taxi service provider companies and hoped the issue would be resolved at the earliest.
Sindh government also sprung into action, as the provincial Secretary Transport wrote a letter to the PTA to block Careem and Uber mobile applications.
"We have sent a notice to the private taxi service company," said Sindh Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Nasir Shah. "We have not banned the private taxi service company like Punjab government," he added.
Nasir Shah further said that had the government wanted to ban the private taxi service company (which he did not name), then the government would have done so by now.
"It is a good service and we want it to operate. However, the company must fulfill all legal requirements," he added.
Nasir Shah disclosed that notices had been sent to the private taxi service company two months earlier as well.
Talking to The News, Secretary Transport Taha Farooqui said Sindh Government is not against Uber and Careem rather we have been facilitating them for the past many months. It is however, the other way round, Uber signed a MoU with the government and agreed to follow the relevant rules and regulations but only six vehicles out of thousands were got certified.
Regarding, Careem he said the government instructed them to get themselves registered with provincial authorities but they never bothered.
The government has not banned either of them and has given one month time to comply with the laws, he noted.
