Uber and GrabCar. Bisa, gak bisa di Bali?
The ‘can they or can’t they operate in Bali?’ fight has been dragging on forever and it’s been very unclear what exactly the legal status is of transport-service-providing apps Uber and GrabCar.
The dispute has stopped at the governor’s desk and is thus Made Mangku Pastika’s call, according to Ketut Artika, head of Bali Province’s Department of Transportation. That’s certainly a reassuring thought.
“The decision is in his hands,” Artika said in Denpasar on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara.
It’s literally on his desk though. Bali’s regional council (DPRD) issued an official letter to Pastika on Feb. 15, objecting to Uber and GrabCar, requesting that the operations be stopped—pending the results of a task force examining the companies’ compliance with the law, reports say.
Artika claims to have a range of compelling reasons to ban Uber and GraTaxi operations on the island, but the main one is that the services do not have operational permits as transport permits, he says.
“We have never issued permits to Uber and GrabCar. So far we have only issued permits to companies incorporated under the law,” he stated. He also claims the study has already demonstrated the companies are operating illegally.
But on the other side of things, GrabCar claims to have finally gotten support from the Bali Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda)—whose influence shouldn’t be underestimated in Bali transport matters.
Bali Organda Chairman Ketut Eddy Dharmaptura said in a statement that GrabCar has been operating in Bali in accordance with the applicable regulations, reports CNN Indonesia. So there’s that.
All eyes on you, Mr. Governor.
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