Uber has ruffled feathers around the globe, with its latest PR and regulatory battle being fought out in the Philippines capital of Manila.
In a blog post, Uber spokesperson Karun Arya thanked the support of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino, and called on the Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to "encourage innovation and support solutions like Uber that can help reduce the congestion plaguing Metro Manila".
The back story to this is a sting operation carried out by the LTFRB and widely reported in the local papers. It appears that an LTFRB stooge booked a Uber ride and then alerted colleagues who confiscated the driver's licence, impounded his vehicle and are threatening a fine.
The driver was not licensed to take fares, allegedly.
Other reports suggest that while this initial operation was targeted at the driver, Uber could be in trouble as the facilitator.
The raid was carried out at the request of the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association, echoing a number of cities where local cabbies have raised concerns.
Leaping to the defence of Uber, MMDA posted its official response onto its Facebook page. It sees Uber playing a vital role in helping Manila's "ailing" public transport network to become a "modern mass transport system".
Whatever the regulatory niceties about public transportation licensing in the Philippines, Uber is, as ever, winning the PR battle, judging by the volume of comments and social media shares the story is getting.
NB:Manila skyline image by Shutterstock.