Your Uber is about to get more expensive. Here's why.

Good morning, Lisbon. It's Tuesday, 19 May. Twenty-one degrees, sunny. The jacarandas on Avenida Dom Carlos I are at full purple rain. And your next Uber might cost more than you expect.

🌬️ AIR QUALITY: 22 (Good).

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YOUR UBER IS ABOUT TO GET MORE EXPENSIVE. HERE'S WHY.

The revision of Law 45/2018, the legislation that governs ride-hailing in Portugal, is now in parliament. Among the proposed changes: the introduction of minimum fares for TVDE services. If approved, short trips in Lisbon could cost 20 to 40% more than they do today.

If you use Uber or Bolt regularly, you already know that a five-minute ride in central Lisbon can cost as little as €3 to €4. That price has been possible because there is no regulatory floor on what the platforms can charge. The proposed reform would change that by setting a minimum fare, effectively ending the cheapest rides.

The logic behind the change comes from the drivers. This newsletter has been covering the TVDE sector since the April 29 strike at Campo Pequeno, and the underlying economics have not improved. Ivo Fernandes of APTAD, the drivers' association, described current fares as "completely unbearable" and "already below the cost price." The per-kilometre rate of €0.37 has not moved in years while diesel hit €2.05 in early May and insurance, maintenance, and AIMA-related costs have all risen. Drivers have been asking for a minimum of €0.50 per kilometre. The platforms have not publicly agreed.

Portugal is the EU country that uses TVDE services the most, per capita. There are around 39,000 drivers actively working on the platforms, out of more than 76,000 total certifications issued. One in five is Brazilian. 8,000 immigrant drivers were blocked from the apps in April when their AIMA residence permits expired and the physical cards hadn't arrived. The sector is simultaneously the most used in Europe and the most structurally fragile.

The reform also proposes other changes to the TVDE framework: adjustments to driver and operator licensing, new rules on platform accountability, and the controversial provision allowing taxis to enter the TVDE market, which both driver associations and the Mobility and Transport Authority itself have opposed. The PSD is pushing the taxi provision; it remains one of the most contested elements in the parliamentary debate.

What this means for riders. If minimum fares are introduced, your short trips will cost more. A ride that currently costs €3.50 could rise to €4.50 or €5. Longer trips will be less affected since the fare already exceeds any likely minimum. Surge pricing during peak hours will remain. The changes would not take effect immediately; parliamentary debate, committee review, and implementation timelines mean riders are unlikely to see new prices before late summer or autumn at the earliest.

What this means for drivers. Higher minimum fares would increase revenue on the shortest rides, which are currently the least profitable. Whether that translates to higher take-home pay depends on how the platforms adjust their commission structures. Uber and Bolt have not publicly committed to passing the increase through to drivers.

Bottom line: The cheapest Uber rides in Lisbon are probably not going to last. The reform is in parliament, the minimum fare is on the table, and the question is not whether prices go up but by how much and when.

⚡ QUICK HITS

Portugal's new Return Law extends immigrant detention to up to 12 months. The draft bill debated in parliament on Friday sets temporary detention at 180 days, extendable by another 180 days if the migrant does not cooperate or documentation from third countries is delayed. The previous maximum was 60 days. The new law also introduces bail options and strengthens deportation procedures. For non-EU residents, this is a significant hardening of enforcement. If you hold a residence permit, this does not directly affect you. If you know someone in an irregular situation, or if you're navigating the AIMA system with an expired permit, the legal landscape just shifted.

Seguro is pursuing a cross-party healthcare pact. The President has initiated negotiations with all parliamentary parties to build consensus on reforming the SNS (national health service). The aim is a structural agreement that survives changes of government. For expats navigating GP shortages, emergency waiting times, and the question of whether to go private, this is the first signal that the political class is treating healthcare as a long-term project rather than a campaign talking point.

The CGTP general strike is two weeks from tomorrow. June 3. The labour reform bill is now in parliament. The UGT has not decided whether to join. If both confederations strike together, it will be the second joint general strike in six months. Plan travel and childcare around it now rather than on June 2.

🍽️ SPOT OF THE DAY

MEZZE (ARROIOS)

If you went to Zaytouna at Mercado de Arroios on our recommendation two weeks ago, you already know the market and you already know the neighbourhood makes some of the best Middle Eastern food in Lisbon. Mezze, a few steps away on the same street, is the reason to come back for dinner.

Mezze opened in September 2017 as a project of the Pão a Pão association, a social enterprise dedicated to the integration of Middle Eastern refugees in Portugal. The idea was straightforward: teach refugees to cook professionally, give them a restaurant to work in, and let the food speak for itself. It worked. The restaurant won "Figure of the Year in Gastronomy" at the Congress of Cooks in 2018, and has since become one of the most consistently praised restaurants in Arroios.

The kitchen is Syrian. The khubz (flatbread) is baked on site, daily, and it is the foundation of nearly everything on the menu. The hummus is made from scratch, smooth and warm. The baba ganoush is smoky in a way that suggests the aubergines were actually charred over flame rather than roasted in an oven. The falafel is crisp on the outside and soft inside, served with tahini and pickles. The kabseh (spiced rice with chicken or lamb) is the main course most regulars order. The lamb kharoof and the fish in tahini sauce are the dishes that food writers come for. The tabbouleh, the fattoush, the kibbeh: all excellent, all made with the care of a kitchen that knows exactly what these dishes are supposed to taste like.

The room is small, warm, and decorated with touches that nod to Damascus without turning the space into a theme. The staff are friendly, many of them graduates of the Pão a Pão programme who stayed because the restaurant became theirs. The atmosphere on a busy evening is the kind of convivial that happens when a room is full of people eating well and talking about what they're eating.

Around €21 per person. BYOB is not an option but the wine and beer list is short and affordable.

→ Refugees built this kitchen and Lisbon fell in love with the food ←

Insider tip: Go for dinner on a Tuesday or Wednesday when the room is calm and the kitchen has time. Order the khubz and hummus first, then the kabseh. If you want to take something home, ask about their catering and takeaway options. The falafel wraps travel well.

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See you tomorrow morning.