What Happened
The Land Transit and Transportation Authority, known as the ATTT, will call on all technology companies operating transport services in Panama to formally register with the agency under new rules now in force. The move follows Executive Decree No. 10 of April 16, 2026, which regulates luxury selective transport services.
ATTT director Nicolás Brea said the goal is to bring platform-based transport into the existing legal framework. He said the government is not excluding the sector, but giving it legal certainty and recognizing that digital transport services are now part of the country’s mobility system.
New Requirements for Drivers and Vehicles
One of the most notable changes is the creation of an operating certificate for platform drivers. The document will allow them to work legally and is designed to have value beyond a single company, according to the ATTT. The authority said the certificate could even be inherited.
The decree also sets vehicle standards for luxury taxi operations. Cars must have air conditioning and seat belts, and cannot be older than seven years when they begin service. Vehicles will also need plates and a sticker marked with the letters “TL.”
For drivers, the requirements include Panamanian nationality, a type E-1 license, and a clean police record with no criminal sanctions in the last 10 years.
Greater Oversight and Monitoring
The ATTT plans to create a specialized inspection unit to supervise platforms and registered drivers through technology. The agency will have access to information on drivers, vehicles, routes and users in order to strengthen safety and operational control.
Brea said the new system will make it possible to identify drivers, georeference trips and improve the traceability of service. He argued that the result will be safer, more comfortable and more efficient rides for passengers.
The ATTT also said it will move to incorporate traditional yellow taxis into the modernization process. Brea warned that if the sector does not improve service quality and efficiency, it could lose competitiveness against newer transport options.
Industry and Political Reactions
The National Chamber of Transportation, or Canatra, backed the decree and described it as a step toward legality, modernization and greater unity in the transport sector. Canatra attorney Dorina Pérez said Panama is now aligning technological change with the law and placing the user at the center of the service.
Pérez said the new framework follows months of dialogue and technical review and replaces a period of uncertainty tied to the previous 2017 regulation. She added that the new rules should improve safety, require valid commercial insurance and encourage vehicles to remain in good condition.
Government Minister Dinoska Montalvo said the decree closes legal gaps left by the 2017 rules and resolves years of conflict between transport operators and digital platforms. She said the previous framework was later challenged before the Supreme Court, which struck down most of its articles.
On the political front, independent lawmaker Jorge Bloise criticized the measure on social media, saying it favors transport operators over users. Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi also rejected the decree, arguing that it limits innovation rather than modernizing transport.
What This Means
The new regulation marks a major shift in Panama’s transport policy by formally recognizing app-based services while tightening state oversight. It also raises the pressure on traditional taxi services to modernize as the country moves toward a more regulated and technology-driven transport system.