Individual passenger transport: an analysis on the arrival of Uber in Brazil and the main advantages of this sharing economy

Abstract

This scientific article presents a study on the sharing economy, known today as the Uber mobile application. This application can be defined as an intermediary between passengers interested in moving around urban centers and car owners interested in offering paid individual transport. Uber originated in the city of San Francisco in California and ended up causing some controversy in all the countries where it operates for being allegedly involved with unfair competition in relation to taxi services, which have a series of legal requirements to operate that are not being required in the same proportion as Uber partner drivers. Through this sharing economy, the use or purchase of services facilitated mainly by applications can be shared. This practice and economic model is mediated by the internet, based on sharing. This article proposes to analyze Uber's performance in Brazil from the first experiences of the program in the country, more precisely in the cities of Rio de Janeiro (2014), São Paulo (2014), Belo Horizonte (2014) and Distrito Federal (2015), as well as the implications of this type of service for urban mobility. It is important to analyze from a current perspective, having as a reference for the discussion, and emphasizing the positions of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Powers in relation to the main points of disagreement demonstrated throughout the elaboration of this scientific article. Finally, it is considered that both free competition and market reservation in individual passenger transport have the same purpose: to promote universal access to the city. However, it would not be prudent to answer which of the two routes best serves its purpose without being associated with an empirical study on the real need for individual transport in each specific city.