Porto, March 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The ride-hailing transport association said on Wednesday that 1,500 fewer combustion engine cars were working in Lisbon and Porto in March because the Bolt and Uber platforms had not adjusted fares to fuel price hikes.

In a statement, the Portuguese Association of Ride-Hailing Transport Operators (APTAD) said "the stoppage is accelerating" and is strong "among the 57% [of vehicles] that use fuel."

"It is only masked by electric vehicles, which make up 43% of the fleet," the association added, telling Lusa that 1,500 vehicles stopped in the two largest cities in March because it was not an option "to work to lose money."

In the press release, the association again criticised "platform inaction regarding fuel price hikes and demands urgent intervention."

Updating the value of recorded fuel increases, which rose from 30 cents a week ago to more than 40 cents currently, the association said that "despite this, neither Uber nor Bolt have adjusted fares or presented any support mechanism for operators and drivers."

"More seriously, none of the platforms responded to the open letters sent by APTAD, where they were directly questioned about the measures they intend to implement to deal with this increase in costs," it added.

According to APTAD, the consequences "are visible on the ground," with "operators and drivers who sre stopping activity because it has simply stopped being viable to work in these conditions".

In this context, the association believes the situation is unequivocal proof that the current legal framework has failed, as legislation in force allows platforms to continue defining prices unilaterally, without any obligation to reflect the real costs of the activity.

APTAD recalled it "presented a proposal to the government to amend the ride-hailing law that corrects this imbalance, introducing mechanisms such as minimum fares and a minimum occupancy rate per platform, ensuring that trip prices reflect the real costs of the activity and avoid the destruction of drivers' incomes."

"Given the seriousness of the situation," the association demands an "immediate response from the Uber and Bolt platforms, clarifying why they do not reflect the brutal increase in fuel prices in trip prices."

JFO/LYT // ADB.

Lusa