June 21 (SeeNews) - Croatia's prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic, said on Wednesday that online transportation network company Uber Technologies is operating outside the country's regulations.
Plenkovic spoke as taxi drivers from all over Croatia blocked streets in Zagreb earlier on Wednesday to protest against the use of Uber in their country.
The transport ministry has so far carried out 170 inspections of Uber drivers who were not in possession of a licence complying with the country's regulations, Plenkovic said in a statement.
Fines totalling 5.2 million kuna ($780,900/701,100 euro) have been imposed, 11 vehicles have been confiscated and 19 sentences have been issued by courts of law, Plenkovic noted.
He added that an analysis is being carried out by the relevant ministries, on the basis of which amendments to existing laws will be drafted in order to regulate this area of economic activity more precisely.
The taxi drivers are demanding the government to intervene and ban what they deem as an illegal platform that encourages the grey economy, news portal Index.hr reported.
Taxi drivers from Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula and other cities have gathered in the capital and say they will not leave until they are heard by the government.
The protest paralyzed traffic in Zagreb as the taxi drivers blocked one of the main streets. The number of protesting drivers is expected to grow during the day.
Uber arrived in Croatia in 2015.
(1 euro=7.41706 kuna)