Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- There is a rumour within the majority about the special committee that should investigate Uber traffic jams in the Brussels parliament. Not all government parties are in favour of such a committee. The PS then submitted a proposal without consultation, which should make such a committee possible.
Both PS and Ecolo have announced before the summer recess that parliament must investigate the Uber traffic jams .
Those Uber files revealed that there was also strong lobbying in Brussels. Current State Secretary Pascal Smet (one.Brussels-Vooruit) would have been a key figure for Uber in the previous legislature as Minister of Mobility. The data leak shows that Uber received first-hand information from Smet about the taxi plan and the coalition agreement.
Special committee
But the majority does not agree on the establishment of that committee. The PS, the strongest proponent of the investigation, has therefore now taken flight and submitted the texts to set up that committee in parliament.
The majority parties are grumbling because the PS is playing “cavalier seul”. “It is also incomprehensible,” says a majority MP. “There must be a sufficient majority in Parliament for the establishment of that committee. So the other parties of the majority are needed anyway.”
At the PS you can hear that enough has been delayed. “We have already put water in our wine by dropping the inquiry committee and making it a special committee (which has less powers, ed.),” it sounds.
Brussels MP Jamal Ikazban (PS) confirms that a text was submitted that was only signed by the PS. “We hope we can come to an agreement soon,” said Ikazban.
Expansion scope
The delay is because the governing parties disagree, says BRUZZ. In particular, Open VLD and Vooruit would not be in favour of the PS proposal. Défi is also not eager for a special committee on Uberfiles, but the party, which attaches great importance to transparency, understands that it cannot make it political to block a parliamentary investigation into Uberfiles. It would seem that they want to sweep the whole scandal under the rug.
The proposal of a number of majority parties is now to broaden the scope of the special committee, to include, for example, the allocation of licences or lobbying by the traditional taxi sector.
For example, Open VLD and Vooruit could be pulled over the line, and there is no longer so much focus on State Secretary Pascal Smet.
Extended Desk
But apparently the PS didn’t want to wait for that. Next Wednesday the texts will be submitted to the Extended Bureau, which is responsible for planning and the agenda of the plenary sessions in parliament.
The majority now has a few days to come to an agreement.
