Uber Costa Rica has continued its growth over the years despite the opposition of red taxi drivers and the lack of proper regulation. The company announced that since it began operations in Costa Rica in August 2015 it has accumulated over 971,000 users and 28,000 drivers.

“The platform represent an important source of additional income for over 28,000 associates and their families that have found in this app an alternative to face the cost of life and the difficult economic climate that closed 2019 with a unemployment rate of 11.4%, according to data by INEC (National Institute of Census and Statistics), one of the highest in Latin America”, pointed out Carolina Coto, communications manager for Uber in Central America.

The last time Uber revealed data for the country in September 2018, it reported close to 22,000 associates and 783,000 users.

According to the open letter published, Uber has invested over $30 million in Costa Rica, where it operates its Excellence Center for Central America and employees 800 people, over 50% of them women.

“From Uber, we see optimistically the process of dialogue regarding bill 21.587 which is being discussed in the Economic Commission. This initiative was presented by deputies of multiple political parties represented in the Legislative Assembly, hoping to reach a balance after a long process of conversation and debate in which technical criteria of government entities and the interested parties has been provided for over one year”, stated Coto, “Costa Rican law should respect the right to choose, not generate arbitrary barriers that affect the access to financial opportunities for those that seek a source of income in platforms such as Uber, promote competition, benefiting the user and the entire transportation ecosystem (…)”, she concluded.