Veraguas Taxi Groups Press ATTT Over Digital Transport Platforms
SANTIAGO, August 1, 2026 – Four taxi organizations in Veraguas staged a caravan to the Autoridad del Transito y Transporte Terrestre offices in Santiago to protest digital transport platforms and deliver a list of petitions.
TVN Noticias reported that the taxi groups say app-based services are operating in a way that creates unequal competition for traditional selective transport operators.
Taxi representatives argue that licensed drivers must comply with professional-license requirements, vehicle and passenger insurance obligations and other administrative rules. They say platform drivers should face a comparable regulatory framework if they provide similar passenger services.
The dispute is not only about market share. It touches consumer choice, driver livelihoods, passenger safety, provincial mobility and the government challenge of updating transport rules for app-based services.
The groups said they have already held meetings with the ATTT, the Veraguas governor office and the Santiago municipality. They are waiting for a working table announced by the Executive Branch and ATTT leadership.
More than 500 taxis circulate in Veraguas, according to the TVN report, giving the issue real weight for local transport operations.
Why it matters
Digital transport regulation affects competition, passenger safety, taxi livelihoods and how Panama adapts legacy transport rules to app-based services.
What happens next
Taxi leaders expect a working table with authorities to define possible regulation and conditions for platform operations.
