Image: Katri Lehtola, Keksi / LVM

On 26 February 2026, the Government submitted to Parliament a legislative proposal to amend taxi regulation. The changes would be made to the Act on Transport Services and certain other acts.

“This repair kit for our taxi law is something Finland truly needs. We are restoring safer taxi services for everyone and improving trust in the sector by tightening entry requirements and oversight. Drivers will better meet our high standards of conduct and receive more rigorous training, oversight will be more effective and taxis will be easier to identify,” says Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne.

The amendments aim to improve drivers' professional skills, reinforce control and prevent abuse. The requirements for obtaining a taxi transport licence would be tightened. A person’s good repute, which is required for the licence, would also be considered compromised if they have been convicted of offences against life or health, sexual offences, or fraud‑related or payment‑instrument offences. Additional grounds for refusing a taxi driver’s licence would include certain offences against personal liberty, tax fraud, fraud, payment‑instrument offences and firearms offences.

Training requirements and the supervision of tests would be improved. New taxi drivers would be expected to attend 21 hours of training. Those already working in the sector would need to complete 7 hours of continuing professional education when renewing their taxi driver’s licence. The continuing education requirement would be in place for a fixed term.

Source: Finnish Government Press Release

Click Here to Read More

Tada founder Kay Woo

As Grab and GoTo edge towards a potential merger that could redraw the region’s ride-hailing map, rival platform Tada is accelerating its global expansion plans spanning the United States and Africa.

After entering Denver in the US state of Colorado last July, the zero-commission ride-hailing firm is preparing to launch in New York City and raise fresh funds to enter Africa in 2026.

Rather than launch independently, Tada opted for a partnership-led entry into the US.

This was done via a partnership with Drivers Cooperative Colorado (DCC), with Tada providing ride-share service technology to the DCC platform. This also allowed Tada to test features different from those in the company’s South-east Asian market.

Key to being accepted by the DCC was Tada’s no-commission-fees stance; instead, the company just charges a fee to upkeep the platform.

“The group of drivers have been growing since the beginning of July last year, and trips have grown from two or three a day – now it’s closer to 100 trips per day,” Kay Woo, founder of Tada, told The Business Times.

That spurred the company to launch in a bigger market in the US, namely New York City. Compared with South-east Asia’s entire ride-hailing market, the city is 1.5 to two times bigger in dollar volume

Tada is targeting a beta launch in the city in May, followed by an official launch in June.

Source: The Business Times

Click Here To Read More

Anchorage Taxi Ordinance Passes, Adding Safety Rules and Potentially Higher Prices

Under the revised rules, taxicabs will be allowed to double the amounts they charge to initiate a ride and the cost charged for travel. What’s known colloquially as a “flag drop” at the start of a ride has long been capped at $3. Now, the ceiling will be $6.

Click Here to Read More

A New Way to Study How Cannabis Use Impacts Safe Driving

As marijuana legalization expands across the U.S., it is outpacing research on the impact of cannabis use behind the wheel. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) recently spent two years collecting real-world driving data from cannabis users to help fill in the gaps.

Click Here to Read More

Rep. Strong Warns of Drone Threats As U.S. Preps for 2026 World Cup

As the U.S. gears up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other major international events, Rep. Dale Strong is raising alarms about the threat of rogue drones and the need for stronger security coordination. Speaking at a congressional hearing this week, Strong, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, highlighted how public safety agencies and private partners are preparing for the unprecedented run of large-scale events, including America 250 celebrations and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Click Here to Read More

Air Canada Offering Free Rides to Travelers Impacted by Airways Transit Closure

Air Canada is offering up seats on its shuttle service for passengers left stranded by the sudden shutdown of Airways Transit. The only catch is they already have to have a flight booked with Air Canada. Airways Transit confirmed to CTV News last month it would cease operations as of Feb. 21. The company cited its inability to turn a profit following a “significant” drop-off in sales during the pandemic.

Click Here to Read More

Winnipeg Public Service Recommends Lowering Default Speed Limit to 40 Km/H from 50 Km/H

Drivers on residential streets in Winnipeg could soon have to slow down. A new City of Winnipeg report recommends lowering the city’s default neighbourhood speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. The recommendation applies to local streets and minor collector roads, according to a report on the agenda for the upcoming March 4 public works committee meeting.

Click Here to Read More

Feds Knew EV Rebates Were Running Out Months before Telling Public, Documents Suggest

Transport Canada officials were aware funding for the popular electric vehicle rebate program was at risk of running out several months before the department told the public about it in January 2025, documents about the program suggest. The documents also show officials were seemingly caught off guard by how quickly the funds did, in the end, dry up.

Click Here to Read More

Failure to Close Taxi-Licence Loophole ‘Puts Children at Risk’

Vulnerable women and children are being left at risk of sexual exploitation because the government has not closed a legal loophole relating to taxis, a major union has warned. Unite, the Labour-backing union, said it was “completely unacceptable” that taxi licensing laws had not been tightened to stop drivers operating in areas where they have not obtained a licence, a loophole previously exploited by grooming gangs to perpetuate abuse.

Click Here to Read More

Ireland Renews Support for Electrification of Taxis and Ride-Hailing Services

Since 2018, the Irish government has repeatedly launched eSPSV programmes, such as the one last year with a budget of €12.5 million. In total, €65 million has already been allocated to support the purchase of 3,600 vehicles for passenger transport. This year’s programme, with a budget of €7.5 million, is significantly smaller than last year’s. However, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien remains hopeful it will provide a vital boost to the sector

Click Here to Read More

48-Hour Public-Transport Strike to Hit German Cities This Friday

The Verdi union has called 100,000 municipal bus, tram and metro drivers out on a 48-hour strike starting Friday, 27 February, after wage talks with local authorities stalled. Walkouts are expected in most federal states except Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, threatening severe disruption to commuter flows and business travel.

Click Here to Read More

"Gyeonggi Welfare Taxi for the Price of a Bus Fare Opens Era of 1 Million Annual Users"

Gyeonggi Province's "demand-responsive welfare taxi," which has become a reliable means of transportation for residents in underserved areas with insufficient bus routes, surpassed 1 million users last year, setting a new milestone in transport welfare.

Click Here to Read More

New Policies for Taxi Drivers in Bali Will Impact Tourists’ Travel 

Tourists traveling to Bali will invariably need a taxi or private driver. The taxi and transportation sector in Bali has faced a series of issues over the last ten years. With the widespread adoption of online taxi apps like Grab and GoJek, many local taxi drivers have felt pushed out of the market, creating issues for both drivers and tourists. 

Click Here to Read More

Government Inaugurates E-Taxi Scheme

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated Pakistan’s first e-taxi scheme, including 1100 electric vehicles in the first phase, 30 percent quota for women and government assistance in down payment.

Click Here to Read More

Image: Reason

The Superior Court for the District of Columbia reinstated its contempt orders against rideshare alternative Empower and its CEO Joshua Sear on Friday, resuming daily multi-thousand-dollar fines against the company and Sear. With no clear path to continue operations, it seems likely that Empower will be forced to cease operations, depriving thousands of independent drivers and money-conscious riders in and around D.C. of a convenient, inexpensive transportation option.

The battle between the rideshare company and district officials has been years in the making and has centered around the legality of Empower's operations in the city. Empower originally argued that it is not a private vehicle-for-hire company—and is thus not subject to certain district regulations and fees—because it did not employ drivers.

In October 2025, Empower ended any and all contractual relationships with riders and drivers in the district. The company argued this action removed it from the Department of For-Hire Vehicles' (DFHV) jurisdiction, as the district code defines private vehicle-for-hire companies as those "that uses digital dispatch to connect passengers to a network of private vehicle-for-hire operators," and operators as those who "provide private vehicle-for-hire service in contract with a private vehicle-for-hire company" (emphasis added). 

The Superior Court didn't buy Empower's argument, but stayed its contempt orders while Empower petitioned the D.C. Court of Appeals. Then, in November, and again in February, the D.C. Council updated the definition of private vehicle-for-hire operator to clarify that no contract is required between an operator and a private vehicle-for-hire company for either to qualify as such.

Source: Reason

Click Here To Read More

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026:

Weekly news snippets

Access to the membership database

Videos and files from recent conferences

Discounted rates for future conferences, and more!

Renew your membership at http://www.iatr.global or email info@iatr.global for any questions!