Poland is considering stricter rules for transport companies like Uber

WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland will force Uber to use licensed taxi drivers from next year as part of a plan approved by the government on Tuesday to create fair competition.

Polish taxi drivers organized demonstrations demanding equal rules for themselves and the drivers of mobile phone companies such as Uber, mytaxi and itaxi, which became extremely popular in Polish cities, but drivers of taxi licensees complain of lowering their fares.

They plan to organize another demonstration in Warsaw next week.

The new law imposing stricter rules on these application-based transport companies, if pbaded by parliament, will come into force early next year.

Uber has faced opposition from its low-cost service in other countries around the world, including the neighboring Czech Republic, which also plans to demand that Uber drivers be fired.

In Poland, there were rumors that Uber and other application-based taxi companies would be subject to increased surveillance.

The daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported in January, citing Uber regional chief and Polish ministers, that Uber would invest 37 million zlotys ($ 9.7 million) in its R & D center near Krakow this year, creating 250 additional jobs. The paper speculated that Uber hoped that the government would welcome job creation and discourage it from tightening the rules against the company.

Uber did not respond to a request for comment sent by email on Tuesday.