Uber to resume operations in Hungary: here’s the exact date
Uber is returning to Hungary after a several-year break. The exact launch date is now available.
Uber in Hungary
Uber pulled out of Hungary in 2016 after a protest by taxi drivers in the capital against them after a period of about a year and a half. Like everywhere else in the world, Uber was then much cheaper than taxi fares at the time, leaving drivers feeling their livelihoods were at risk. They said that Uber was “operating illegally” in Budapest and that the taxi lobby had won the day, leaving passengers only the more expensive option of recent years. Read here: Taxi drivers continue anti-Uber demonstration – details, photos
But the good news is that Uber could be back on the road in Hungary, especially in Budapest, as early as this week, 13 June, according to Totalcar.
The company has written to hired drivers about the exact date, and the paper asked if users can really expect the P2P ride-sharing passenger transport service to launch in two days.
The company’s official response, while not confirming the Thursday launch, did not deny it, and said that they were already well underway with the hiring of drivers:
We are delighted to bring Uber to Budapest. We are currently working hard to recruit as many drivers as possible and will share more information on our launch plans soon,” the company wrote.
As we reported earlier, Uber is not relaunching as a standalone company, but as a “member” of one of the capital’s taxi service providers.
Uber downsized – or how Uber will look in Budapest
“Neither Uber Taxi nor the taxi service provider belonging to Uber Taxi will be exempted from complying with the relevant legislation,” the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) said in response to rtl.hu’s request.
Due to the strong taxi lobby, it is expected that even if Uber returns to the Hungarian capital, it will not have the advantages that made it so popular.
It is also important to know that only Uber’s passenger transport services will be available, and that you will only be able to order through an app. The services of the partner company, Főtaxi, will continue to be available through the usual channels.
Réka Bittera, Uber’s contact person in Hungary, said that Uber’s service will be fully compliant with local regulatory requirements, so Uber drivers will transport their passengers at the same price as taxis, i.e. the basic fare will be HUF 1,100 (EUR 2.78), the kilometre fare HUF 440 (EUR 1.11) and the per-minute fare HUF 110 (EUR 0.28).
- Read also – Shocking: Taxi hyenas, drugs and licenceless drivers caught in Budapest