“Curralzinho”: Uber attacks law that requires support point for drivers

Uber attacked the law that obliges app companies to provide support points for their drivers in the Federal District. The demonstration was sent at the end of last year to the DF APP Drivers Union (Sindmaap), which formally charged the company for irregularities at the support point at Brasília Airport, nicknamed “curralzinho”.

The law is from November 2020. Since then, app companies have been required to offer support points to drivers in each city in the Federal District. These places must have: bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, dining space, support room with internet and electricity. Penalties for non-compliance include fines and even loss of the right to operate in the region. It is up to the Department of Transport and Mobility to monitor this.

Sindmaap told Uber that there is only one support point in the entire Federal District, at Brasília Airport. “The hygiene of the four chemical bathrooms is precarious. The smell exhaled is putrid and borders on unbearable”, stated the entity. There are no showers, changing rooms, dining space or support room with internet and electricity, according to the union. See inspection photos below:

A table improvised by the drivers using construction remains is the closest thing to a support room, the union pointed out, concluding: “Strictly speaking, there is no support point. The nickname used to describe the place, ‘curralzinho’, is singularly appropriate”, followed the document sent to Uber in November.

Uber countered the document in the same month. He claimed that the bathrooms are cleaned at least five times a day. And he added: “The regulatory framework that regulates the obligation of support points in the DF is riddled with illegalities and unconstitutionalities, without prejudice to also proving to be flawed from an operational and economic point of view”. For Uber, the law’s requirement has “very high costs”.

As shown by the Metropolises Last month, the author of the law, district deputy Fábio Felix, from PSol, sued the Public Ministry of Labor against Uber for irregularities in the “curralzinho”. The Department of Transport and Mobility was also questioned by the parliamentarian.

When contacted, Uber stated: “The company expresses its concern regarding the requirements imposed by the local legislation of the Federal District, such as the creation of support points in each of the administrative regions of the DF, which would bring an unfeasible cost to be assumed by the companies”, adding: “We reiterate our commitment to maintaining a transparent and collaborative dialogue with the authorities of the Federal District”.