From the Ministry of Transportation, an extensive dialogue table was held with representatives of the union of taxi drivers from Cúcuta, Cartagena, Medellín, Tunja, Bucaramanga, Manizales and Neiva. In the development of the negotiation table, the most relevant points from the taxi sector were exposed, who agreed that, first of all, the high cost of gasoline is preventing them from working and generating profits, they requested differential rates on fuel to the sector.
Regarding the issue of gasoline, it was specified that it is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation to freeze gasoline since it obeys a dynamic of the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. In relation to this need, what the Ministry of Transport has been advancing is the work of analyzing the number of individual service vehicles (taxi) so that the Treasury portfolio can make responsible determinations with the data.
In practice, What the ministry is proposing is a migration issue towards clean vehicles, opportunities with gas vehicles, electric vehicles so that they effectively improve their vehicle fleet and have lower operating costs using clean energy.
Another problem that was evidenced was the rate increase, in his words, taxi drivers cannot stand another increase because when an increase in rates is generated, users will proceed to use the platforms and thus seek illegality. The third point was the requirement to control illegality, in which the Superintendency of Transportation indicated that from this entity they have implemented review and monitoring processes, but that in addition, together with the Ministry of Transportation, technological developments have been advanced to implement indicators. management through that system. Additionally, it is suggested the review of the existing regulatory framework, the updating of decrees and resolutions.
Within the framework of the negotiation table, the vice minister of transport, Eduardo Enríquez Caicedo pointed out: “Thank you for the willingness of all the men and women taxi drivers in the country, a 7-hour meeting that has been very gratifying and with good results in this exercise of dialogue, the decision of the president is that he will receive us at the Casa de Nariño in the next few days with the taxi sector so that we can make progress on fuel issues”.
At the end of the day, the Ministry of Transportation, within the framework of the national strike for the individual public transport sector of the taxi type, brought forward on August 9, 2023, commits to:
Manage, through Minister William Camargo Triana, on August 14, 2023 in the Council of Ministers, a meeting with the participation of the President of the Republic on a date as close as possible in which the representatives of taxi drivers who participated of the strike of August 9, 2023, of the cities Bogotá, Manizales, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Tunja, Neiva, Bucaramanga, Buga, Popayán, Armenia and Cúcuta. At this meeting, due to the issues to be discussed, the presence of the Ministers of Transportation, Finance, Mines and Energy, and the Interior will be requested. Continue to carry out regional work tables in which issues that are of the spring of the Ministry and the Superintendency of Transportation will be discussed. Said work tables will be carried out in the same dynamics in which they have been carried out, assisting the regions. Continue with the technical table with the leaders of the strike in the city of Bogotá on a monthly basis, dealing with the issues of the regional and transversal ones that imply a review of the existing regulation. Commitment of the Superintendency of Transportation to coordinate with the DITRA and the Transit Organizations the reactivation of operational controls.