Portugal’s revised TVDE law lets taxis join Uber and Bolt platforms

The revision of Portugal’s TVDE law will, for the first time, allow Portuguese taxis to provide services through the electronic platforms used to request journeys in TVDE vehicles.

Until now, Portuguese legislation kept the regimes for taxis and TVDE operators separate. With the amendment approved by the Assembly of the Republic on 17 July, that division is expected to be removed.

In practical terms, taxis will be able to join electronic platforms such as Uber or Bolt, provided those platforms choose to offer that option and taxi operators decide to sign up.

A trend already well established in Europe

Being able to request a taxi through the same apps that also offer TVDE services is already available in several European markets, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece.

In Portugal, the change will enable taxi companies and professionals to adopt a similar model. However, joining will not be automatic.

The revised law creates the possibility, but it does not force platforms to accept operators, drivers or vehicles from the taxi sector. Nor does it require taxi drivers to adopt this model.

As a result, each platform will decide whether it wants to make this option available, and each taxi operator will choose whether they also want to provide TVDE services.

Taxi or TVDE depending on the service

Integration into platforms also does not change the legal regime for taxis. When operating as a taxi, these vehicles will still be able to pick up passengers from the street and at taxi ranks, use bus lanes, and charge according to the taximeter.

However, when a journey is booked via a TVDE platform, the vehicle, driver and operator will be subject to the rules that apply to that activity.

This means meeting the requirements for TVDE operators and vehicles, including registration with the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT), affiliation with a licensed platform, and the specific obligations relating to insurance and the exercise of the activity.

Less bureaucracy for taxi drivers

The amended law also makes it easier for taxi drivers to access TVDE platforms. At present, holders of a taxi driver certificate do not have to attend the initial TVDE training. Even so, they are still required to apply to the IMT for a specific TVDE driver certificate.

That requirement is removed under the revised law. A valid taxi driver certificate will become sufficient to work as a TVDE driver. Even so, the professional must still comply with the remaining legal requirements, register with a licensed electronic platform, and obtain a unique registration number issued by the IMT.

This change is intended to eliminate administrative steps seen as redundant, reduce bureaucratic costs, and recognise training and professional experience already certified by the IMT.

When do the new rules take effect?

Before the changes to the TVDE legal framework take effect, they must still be promulgated by the President of the Republic and published in the Diário da República (Official Gazette). Only after these two steps will the new rules produce legal effects.