Costa Rica platform drivers protest bill that would tax rides and affect 35,000 families

The Private Association for Innovation, Mobility, Technologies and Collaborative Economies (APRIMOTEC) warned that the draft law (file 23‑736) regulating digital mobility platforms such as Uber would "taxify" the service and jeopardise the livelihoods of more than 35,000 Costa Rican families. The association says the bill, drafted without driver input, would impose mandatory registration as independent workers, allow the Costa Rican Social Security (CCSS) to levy retroactive charges, fines and interest for up to ten years, and ban platform drivers from operating in airports, ports and other high‑traffic tourist zones.

APRIMOTEC president Alfredo Román criticized the process, stating, "Nos quieren recetar una ley cocinada a puerta cerrada, sin darnos un solo espacio para sentarnos en la mesa a explicar cómo funciona esta actividad en la vida real." The group is calling on legislators and the executive to halt the rapid advance of the measure and open a dialogue with drivers.