In an open letter addressed to the two platforms, the president of APTAD, Ivo Miguel Fernandes, says that in recent weeks there has been an "abrupt" increase in fuel prices, with diesel nearly 30 cents per litre higher, which has a direct impact on the activity of drivers and operators of ride-hailing services (Individual and Remunerated Passenger Transport in Unmarked Vehicles).

"We are not facing a one-off variation. We are facing a sharp increase in one of the main costs of the activity," the letter states.

Given this scenario, the president of APTAD considers it "incomprehensible and unacceptable" that the platforms maintain their stance against fare changes in Portugal.

“This position not only demonstrates a complete disconnect from the economic reality of those who work in the sector, but also a profound lack of respect for the operators and drivers who provide this service daily,” points out Ivo Fernandes.

In this sense, the association criticises the argument that the platform model adjusts prices solely on the basis of demand and driver availability, at a time when the sector is facing rising fuel and cost-of-living costs.

Structural changes

In the letter, APTAD also advocates for structural changes in the sector, namely the creation of a minimum occupancy rate for platforms, a measure that would require adjusting the number of vehicles available to the actual demand.

According to the association, this solution would prevent the continuous entry of new vehicles when the occupancy rate is low, reducing supply saturation and the drop in drivers' income.

APTAD considers the current review of the law regulating individual and paid passenger transport in unmarked vehicles to be “a decisive phase” in correcting what it says are weaknesses in the sector's model.

Legitimacy acknowledged

Contacted by Lusa, a source at Bolt acknowledged the legitimacy of the driver seizures and assured that the platform is "closely monitoring" the situation.

"We are aware that fuel costs are an important component of drivers' income, so we will closely monitor the impact of rising fuel prices," he said.

Price assessment

The Bolt source also indicated that a process to assess driver prices and income is underway to introduce measures that can "mitigate the impact of these costs in the short term."

"Our priority is to maintain a balance between the operating costs of drivers working with partner operators and the prices charged to passengers, in order to ensure that our platform continues to be fair and sustainable for all parties," he stressed.

Lusa also contacted the Uber platform, but has not yet received a response.