Uber and taxis: a comparative law study in Lithuania

ENThe present research aims to provide an analysis of the modification of the national legal environment to the appearance of the new phenomenon of ‘crowdwork’ (or platform work ) on the example of UBER in Lithuania. This paper provides, firstly, an analysis of the organisation and regulation of taxi services in Lithuania before mobile applications began to be used for this type of commercial activity. The analysis aims to explain the legal status of the taxi driver, the procedure of licensing and the essence of technical and other requirements imposed by the legislator on providers of taxi services. Secondly, the paper focuses on the legal framework which was created by the legislator with the special purpose to accommodate UBER-type activities in Lithuania. To this end the author will present the chronology of the entrance of UBER into the Lithuanian market and the legislative adaptation of the existing legal framework to this new innovation in concreto. Furthermore, the reasons behind the agenda of liberalisation and the factors that contributed to the success of UBER activities will be revealed and discussed.