Portugal’s parliament approved a major revision of the 2018 ride-hailing law on Thursday, allowing licensed taxis to operate on digital platforms for the first time and eliminating a legal cap on surge pricing.
The legislation passed with support from the centre-right PSD and CDS-PP, far-right Chega and the regionalist JPP, while the Socialist Party, Liberals, Left Bloc, Communists and Livre voted against it and PAN abstained. Key changes include raising the maximum vehicle age from seven to 10 years — 12 for electric cars — and scrapping the previous 100 percent ceiling on dynamic fares. Drivers must now demonstrate functional Portuguese, and mandatory training rises to 50 hours with a final exam.
The transport authorities AMT and IMT opposed the inclusion of taxis in the new regime. State Secretary for Mobility Cristina Pinto Dias acknowledged the convergence of the two sectors posed challenges. Fines for companies may now reach 44,000 euros, up from 15,000.