A decision this afternoon relating to Uber, Wednesday, June 14, by the Public Transport Council (CTP, its initials in Spanish) and the Public Services Regulatory Authority (Aresep, its initials in Spanish) has taxi drivers planning protests yet again.

The authorities said they, “Have no legal competence to block the operation of private transportation … in the country and that, therefore, their hands are tied on the issue [of Uber] because there is no existing protocol that allows them to proceed,” said a report by Teletica Channel 7 TV.

Rubén Vargas, leader of the Costa Rican Taxi Drivers Union, called the announcement a “mockery” and assured that official cab drivers will “take to the streets in late June or early July in a nationwide demonstration that seeks to unify all actors in the sector.”

The taxi leader said a meeting would be held Tuesday to finalize details, but said the demonstration will take aim at the Aresep and the CTP to demand that they act in favor of taxi drivers.

Today’s resolution stated that the Aresep can not refer to a related matter currently in court, which is an administrative dispute that the taxi drivers’ union presented against Uber last year, said Teletica.

Vargas issued a threat saying they will sue the government between  ₡60 and ₡120 million colones for each taxi license plate if the situation is not resolved. He explained that since the operation of Uber, “We are going under; there are a thousand families that have been left without sustenance because the ineffectiveness of the Transit Police, the courts of justice, the CTP, the Aresep and the President.”

The leader used very heated language in responding to today’s decision saying, we will “Always fight within legal limits … but god help us if  this gets out of control because there will be dead people in the streets,” adding menacingly, “If the President insists on these useless solutions to the Uber situation …  many things could come to pass.”