Uber launches in Ljubljana

US ride-hailing company Uber has added Slovenia to its map by launching operations in the capital Ljubljana in collaboration with local licensed drivers in order to comply with the country's strict rules on taxi services, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The service works just like it does in any of the 70 countries where it is already available in that all trips are booked and paid through the official Uber app.

But unlike in many other countries, all drivers are officially licensed taxi drivers because Slovenian law does not allow individuals without a licence to perform taxi services.

"We are here as a technological partner for licensed local taxi drivers who work in accordance with the applicable Slovenian legislation," said Morena Šimatić, the director of Uber for Slovenia and Croatia.

According to her, the focus is on adapting to local requirements and legislation.

The price will be determined based on the official tariff structure of the Ljubljana municipality.

The company says more than 150,000 users in the area already have the Uber app on their phones. Many will have downloaded it during trips to countries where Uber has been present for many years.

The company hopes that the service will soon be available elsewhere in Slovenia, Šimatić said, but the goal is sustainable, not rapid growth.

In the long term, Uber's potential expansion in Slovenia could include helping more taxi drivers join the platform, supporting electrification, and introducing services such as Green Uber and Uber Eats.

The arrival of Uber has been welcomed by the local authorities, with Boštjan Koritnik, the deputy mayor of Ljubljana, saying that "we are looking forward to Uber contributing to the development of mobility in our city."

Some taxi drivers have expressed concern that Uber may engage in price dumping and crowd out other providers of taxi services, but the Union of Taxi Drivers said everything is fine as long as the playing field is level for everyone.

"They should respect the same rules of the game that apply to us, and not operate according to the model that we already know," said union vice-president Janko Kip.

This is in stark contrast with the reaction four years ago when Uber first attempted to enter Slovenia.

At that time, the government passed a bill that would exempt companies such as Uber from taxi licensing requirements, which prompted protests by taxi drivers.

The bill was repealed soon after the change of government in 2022.