Taxi protests against Silicon Valley ride-app Uber threaten European gridlock

(Reuters) - Commuters faced a day of traffic chaos in London, Berlin, Paris and Madrid on Wednesday as taxi drivers mounted one of the biggest protests against Uber, a U.S. car service which allows people to summon rides at the touch of a button.

Paris commuters faced gridlock getting into the city on Wednesday morning when taxis slowed traffic on major arteries into the centre. In London, up to 12,000 taxi drivers plan to tie up the streets around Trafalgar Square, just a stone's throw from Prime Minister David Cameron's official residence, from 2 p.m. (1300 GMT).

Taxi drivers across Europe say applications of companies like San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc. are breaking local taxi rules across the European Union and threatening their livelihoods.

Uber, valued last week at $18.2 billion just four years since its 2010 launch and backed by investors such as Goldman Sachs and Google., contends its smartphone application complies with local regulations and that they are being targeted because of their success in winning customers.

"They're killing us off, starving us out," said Mick Fitz, who has been driving a London black taxi for years. He and other black cab drivers allege Uber's technology is effectively a taximeter and thus contravenes a 1998 British law reserving the right to use a meter for licensed black taxis.

"With their taximeter, their apps that they use, their technology, those are taximeters basically, which by law only we are allowed to use," Fitz told Reuters.

Uber has touched a raw nerve in Europe by bringing home the dangers of technological advances to one of the world's most visible trades.

A variety of apps for summoning taxis have threatened the traditional taxi model in European cities such as London where strict rules govern which cars can stop on the street to pick up hailing customers and which cars have to be pre-booked.

Uber has expanded rapidly since it was launched by two U.S. technology entrepreneurs, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, and now operates in 128 cities across 37 countries.

"What you are seeing today is an industry that has not faced competition for decades. Now finally we are seeing competition from companies such as Uber which is bringing choice to customers," Uber's Regional General Manager for Western Europe, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, told Reuters.

UBER JAM?

Uber Chief Executive Officer Kalanick last week announced $1.2 billion in new funding, valuing the company at $18.2 billion, one of the highest valuations ever for a Silicon Valley startup.

But it has faced a series of hurdles from the beaches of Miami to the piazzas of Rome.

Ordinances keep it out of cities such as Las Vegas and Miami while in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., Uber and similar companies have faced lawsuits from taxi companies hoping to keep the new competition out.

In France, taxi drivers who have been on the warpath in recent months over mounting competition from private hire car firms kicked off their Wednesday protest by teaming up in large numbers to slow traffic to snail pace on major motorway access routes into the capital.

Adding to the gridlock, a strike at the SNCF state railway company over planned reforms reduced high-speed TGV and Intercity services by as much as 50 percent, while international rail links were also reduced by about 30 percent.

About 1,000 Berlin taxi drivers were expected to protest against taxi-fetching app companies, including Uber, between noon and 2 p.m. (1000-1200 GMT), congesting roads between the Olympic Stadium and Tegel Airport, Berlin Central Station and Südkreuz Station, according to city police.

Taxis were also striking in Madrid and Barcelona. The two biggest taxi unions in Madrid, who represent around 90 percent of cabs in the capital, have called for a 24-hour strike from 6 in the morning. The Ministry of Public Works has warned that companies or individuals offering Uber-type services faced fines of up to 6,000 euros, while users could be fined up to 600 euros. The ministry has not specifically named Uber, which is operating in Barcelona but not Madrid.


http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/06/11/uk-protests-taxis-idUKKBN0EM0TE20140611?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews


Can't see anything wrong with this new app tbf.
London Hackney cabs are overpriced and a bit of competition is long overdue.
Mini cabs are much better value for money.

I'm surprised you are concerned about the value for money....after all you aint had to go out and earn it have you scrounger....

Oh look the crap furniture maker and waste of oxygen has turned up.

Please stick to the OP you RW racist tosser.

been beaten up again have we...would explain your vile attitude...
about time someone gave you a real good hiding...might teach you some manners....
go back to your stinking cave and rot.....

Philagain wrote:(Reuters) - Commuters faced a day of traffic chaos in London, Berlin, Paris and Madrid on Wednesday as taxi drivers mounted one of the biggest protests against Uber, a U.S. car service which allows people to summon rides at the touch of a button.

Paris commuters faced gridlock getting into the city on Wednesday morning when taxis slowed traffic on major arteries into the centre. In London, up to 12,000 taxi drivers plan to tie up the streets around Trafalgar Square, just a stone's throw from Prime Minister David Cameron's official residence, from 2 p.m. (1300 GMT).

Taxi drivers across Europe say applications of companies like San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc. are breaking local taxi rules across the European Union and threatening their livelihoods.

Uber, valued last week at $18.2 billion just four years since its 2010 launch and backed by investors such as Goldman Sachs and Google., contends its smartphone application complies with local regulations and that they are being targeted because of their success in winning customers.

"They're killing us off, starving us out," said Mick Fitz, who has been driving a London black taxi for years. He and other black cab drivers allege Uber's technology is effectively a taximeter and thus contravenes a 1998 British law reserving the right to use a meter for licensed black taxis.

"With their taximeter, their apps that they use, their technology, those are taximeters basically, which by law only we are allowed to use," Fitz told Reuters.

Uber has touched a raw nerve in Europe by bringing home the dangers of technological advances to one of the world's most visible trades.

A variety of apps for summoning taxis have threatened the traditional taxi model in European cities such as London where strict rules govern which cars can stop on the street to pick up hailing customers and which cars have to be pre-booked.

Uber has expanded rapidly since it was launched by two U.S. technology entrepreneurs, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, and now operates in 128 cities across 37 countries.

"What you are seeing today is an industry that has not faced competition for decades. Now finally we are seeing competition from companies such as Uber which is bringing choice to customers," Uber's Regional General Manager for Western Europe, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, told Reuters.

UBER JAM?

Uber Chief Executive Officer Kalanick last week announced $1.2 billion in new funding, valuing the company at $18.2 billion, one of the highest valuations ever for a Silicon Valley startup.

But it has faced a series of hurdles from the beaches of Miami to the piazzas of Rome.

Ordinances keep it out of cities such as Las Vegas and Miami while in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., Uber and similar companies have faced lawsuits from taxi companies hoping to keep the new competition out.

In France, taxi drivers who have been on the warpath in recent months over mounting competition from private hire car firms kicked off their Wednesday protest by teaming up in large numbers to slow traffic to snail pace on major motorway access routes into the capital.

Adding to the gridlock, a strike at the SNCF state railway company over planned reforms reduced high-speed TGV and Intercity services by as much as 50 percent, while international rail links were also reduced by about 30 percent.

About 1,000 Berlin taxi drivers were expected to protest against taxi-fetching app companies, including Uber, between noon and 2 p.m. (1000-1200 GMT), congesting roads between the Olympic Stadium and Tegel Airport, Berlin Central Station and Südkreuz Station, according to city police.

Taxis were also striking in Madrid and Barcelona. The two biggest taxi unions in Madrid, who represent around 90 percent of cabs in the capital, have called for a 24-hour strike from 6 in the morning. The Ministry of Public Works has warned that companies or individuals offering Uber-type services faced fines of up to 6,000 euros, while users could be fined up to 600 euros. The ministry has not specifically named Uber, which is operating in Barcelona but not Madrid.


http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/06/11/uk-protests-taxis-idUKKBN0EM0TE20140611?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews


Can't see anything wrong with this new app tbf.
London Hackney cabs are overpriced and a bit of competition is long overdue.
Mini cabs are much better value for money.

.....Meanwhile back on topic..

Philagain wrote:

Philagain wrote:(Reuters) - Commuters faced a day of traffic chaos in London, Berlin, Paris and Madrid on Wednesday as taxi drivers mounted one of the biggest protests against Uber, a U.S. car service which allows people to summon rides at the touch of a button.

Paris commuters faced gridlock getting into the city on Wednesday morning when taxis slowed traffic on major arteries into the centre. In London, up to 12,000 taxi drivers plan to tie up the streets around Trafalgar Square, just a stone's throw from Prime Minister David Cameron's official residence, from 2 p.m. (1300 GMT).

Taxi drivers across Europe say applications of companies like San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc. are breaking local taxi rules across the European Union and threatening their livelihoods.

Uber, valued last week at $18.2 billion just four years since its 2010 launch and backed by investors such as Goldman Sachs and Google., contends its smartphone application complies with local regulations and that they are being targeted because of their success in winning customers.

"They're killing us off, starving us out," said Mick Fitz, who has been driving a London black taxi for years. He and other black cab drivers allege Uber's technology is effectively a taximeter and thus contravenes a 1998 British law reserving the right to use a meter for licensed black taxis.

"With their taximeter, their apps that they use, their technology, those are taximeters basically, which by law only we are allowed to use," Fitz told Reuters.

Uber has touched a raw nerve in Europe by bringing home the dangers of technological advances to one of the world's most visible trades.

A variety of apps for summoning taxis have threatened the traditional taxi model in European cities such as London where strict rules govern which cars can stop on the street to pick up hailing customers and which cars have to be pre-booked.

Uber has expanded rapidly since it was launched by two U.S. technology entrepreneurs, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, and now operates in 128 cities across 37 countries.

"What you are seeing today is an industry that has not faced competition for decades. Now finally we are seeing competition from companies such as Uber which is bringing choice to customers," Uber's Regional General Manager for Western Europe, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, told Reuters.

UBER JAM?

Uber Chief Executive Officer Kalanick last week announced $1.2 billion in new funding, valuing the company at $18.2 billion, one of the highest valuations ever for a Silicon Valley startup.

But it has faced a series of hurdles from the beaches of Miami to the piazzas of Rome.

Ordinances keep it out of cities such as Las Vegas and Miami while in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., Uber and similar companies have faced lawsuits from taxi companies hoping to keep the new competition out.

In France, taxi drivers who have been on the warpath in recent months over mounting competition from private hire car firms kicked off their Wednesday protest by teaming up in large numbers to slow traffic to snail pace on major motorway access routes into the capital.

Adding to the gridlock, a strike at the SNCF state railway company over planned reforms reduced high-speed TGV and Intercity services by as much as 50 percent, while international rail links were also reduced by about 30 percent.

About 1,000 Berlin taxi drivers were expected to protest against taxi-fetching app companies, including Uber, between noon and 2 p.m. (1000-1200 GMT), congesting roads between the Olympic Stadium and Tegel Airport, Berlin Central Station and Südkreuz Station, according to city police.

Taxis were also striking in Madrid and Barcelona. The two biggest taxi unions in Madrid, who represent around 90 percent of cabs in the capital, have called for a 24-hour strike from 6 in the morning. The Ministry of Public Works has warned that companies or individuals offering Uber-type services faced fines of up to 6,000 euros, while users could be fined up to 600 euros. The ministry has not specifically named Uber, which is operating in Barcelona but not Madrid.


http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/06/11/uk-protests-taxis-idUKKBN0EM0TE20140611?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews


Can't see anything wrong with this new app tbf.
London Hackney cabs are overpriced and a bit of competition is long overdue.
Mini cabs are much better value for money.

.....Meanwhile back on topic..

says the crap head that started this....again....you wanted it...well now you're going to get it......

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uber-signups-increase-850-as-black-cab-drivers-stage-london-taxi-protest-9530061.htm

...So it's had a negative effect then.   

Actually Phil if you had a sister or daughter then wouldn't you rather her use a CRB checked and ultimately safer mode of transport?

If people want to use this app then surely that should be allowed?

Like I said, mini cabs are not as trustworthy.

Phil wouldnt care ...as long as he hangs on to a few more pence of taxpayers money, what does "trustworthyness" matter....Phil only cares about phil at the end of the day.....

I prefer to use mini cabs because they work out cheaper.

Both Hackney cabs and mini cabs should be able to exist alongside each other.

The app is really good because you don't have to wait on street corners, waiting to hail a cab that might or might not come along.

eddie wrote:Actually Phil if you had a sister or daughter then wouldn't you rather her use a CRB checked and ultimately safer mode of transport?

Simples...................

Yes !

.....And actually Uber have said that the drivers backgrounds have been checked.

Philagain wrote:.....And actually Uber have said that the drivers backgrounds have been checked.

  By whom ?

gerber wrote:

Philagain wrote:.....And actually Uber have said that the drivers backgrounds have been checked.

  By whom ?

By an Uber rep on London news.

eddie wrote:Actually Phil if you had a sister or daughter then wouldn't you rather her use a CRB checked and ultimately safer mode of transport?

Are all hackneys DBS checked?

Philagain wrote:

gerber wrote:
  By whom ?

By an Uber rep on London news.

  Ultra safe then..................

me thinks not.

gerber wrote:

Philagain wrote:

By an Uber rep on London news.

  Ultra safe then..................

me thinks not.

So perhaps if you have kids you would be cautious?

Two adults on a night out wouldn't be wanting to wait for a cab that may or may not turn up, in theatre land it's a nightmare and a free for all!

Philagain wrote:

gerber wrote:
  Ultra safe then..................

me thinks not.

So perhaps if you have kids you would be cautious?

Two adults on a night out wouldn't be wanting to wait for a cab that may or may not turn up, in theatre land it's a nightmare and a free for all!

Argument lost..............  

Great to see you throw in the towel.

A cabbie has to be safe to all...............

Nems wrote:

eddie wrote:Actually Phil if you had a sister or daughter then wouldn't you rather her use a CRB checked and ultimately safer mode of transport?

Are all hackneys DBS checked?

Not sure nems but all I'll say is taxis are reliable, dependable and there are always plenty around.
They take credit cards and are driven by people who've worked bloody long and hard to do what they do!
They know their way around and will get you there safely.

Anyone can drive a mini cab and their cars are not serviced as often as taxis either.

gerber wrote:

Philagain wrote:

So perhaps if you have kids you would be cautious?

Two adults on a night out wouldn't be wanting to wait for a cab that may or may not turn up, in theatre land it's a nightmare and a free for all!

Argument lost..............  

Great to see you throw in the towel.

A cabbie has to be safe to all...............

Exactly.
And they will all know where they're going and the best way to get there too.

gerber wrote:

Philagain wrote:

So perhaps if you have kids you would be cautious?

Two adults on a night out wouldn't be wanting to wait for a cab that may or may not turn up, in theatre land it's a nightmare and a free for all!

Argument lost..............  

Great to see you throw in the towel.

A cabbie has to be safe to all...............

It's all to do with having a choice i would suppose.

eddie wrote:

Nems wrote:

Are all hackneys DBS checked?

Not sure nems but all I'll say is taxis are reliable, dependable and there are always plenty around.
They take credit cards and are driven by people who've worked bloody long and hard to do what they do!
They know their way around and will get you there safely.

Anyone can drive a mini cab and their cars are not serviced as often as taxis  either.

Oh I agree, I just wondered about the check x

Most people know where they want to go, just provide them with the nearest landmark to you, then you can direct them from there.

Sat Nav can get you to said landmark!   

Nems wrote:

eddie wrote:

Not sure nems but all I'll say is taxis are reliable, dependable and there are always plenty around.
They take credit cards and are driven by people who've worked bloody long and hard to do what they do!
They know their way around and will get you there safely.

Anyone can drive a mini cab and their cars are not serviced as often as taxis  either.

Oh I agree, I just wondered about the check  x

Not sure but if I take a guess I'd say yes as they have a a lot of checks when they first begin.

Philagain wrote:Most people know where they want to go, just provide them with the nearest landmark to you, then you can direct them from there.

Sat Nav can get you to said landmark!   

Yeah sat navs are so reliable aren't they?   
I'd rather trust my driver than a machine that is renowned for making mistakes.

Even a Sat Nav has the ability to get you to Buck Palace or Lewisham fucking clock tower tbf.

....If there is any confusion then you cant just direct the mini cab driver from there, and at a far cheaper cost than getting into a black cab, which being able to afford is becoming more and more of a luxury these days, or the last time that i had the money to use one.

Philagain wrote:Even a Sat Nav has the ability to get you to Buck Palace or Lewisham fucking clock tower tbf.

....If there is any confusion then you cant just direct the mini cab driver from there, and at a far cheaper cost than getting into a black cab, which being able to afford is becoming more and more of a luxury these days, or the last time that i had the money to use one.

I opt for safety over cheapness. That's why I didn't eat Tescos blue-stripe horse meat lasagne but bought the ingredients and made my own.

....Most of the Asian mini cab drivers around here are very nice, and will strike up many an interesting conversation with you!

eddie wrote:

Philagain wrote:Most people know where they want to go, just provide them with the nearest landmark to you, then you can direct them from there.

Sat Nav can get you to said landmark!   

Yeah sat navs are so reliable aren't they?   
I'd rather trust my driver than a machine that is renowned for making mistakes.

I seem to spend a lot of time arguing with my sat nav, 'turn round when possible' endlessly
Snotty cow

Oh and just for the record. Because you live with a very ill person, taxis will happily get a wheelchair in the back of their vehicle and for the mum in the rain, with her pram, likewise, all without folding anything away.

They cater for everyone.

Nems wrote:

eddie wrote:

Yeah sat navs are so reliable aren't they?   
I'd rather trust my driver than a machine that is renowned for making mistakes.

I seem to spend a lot of time arguing with my sat nav, 'turn round when possible' endlessly
Snotty cow

  What does she know nems....pffffff

Philagain wrote:....Most of the Asian mini cab drivers around here are very nice, and will strike up many an interesting conversation with you!

You mean you don't start arguing with them??

Yeah, we get it Phil, you like cheap Asian cabs.

....The last time we took the cats to the vets the Asian cab driver was nice, jokey and very friendly.

He had us both in stiches, we were thinking what the fuck are you on about, but that made the journey more enjoyable!

Philagain wrote:....The last time we took the cats to the vets the Asian cab driver was nice, jokey and very friendly.

He had us both in stiches, we were thinking what the fuck are you on about, but that made the journey more enjoyable!

Yes. That's a very valid and solid argument.
You been eating lasagne?

eddie wrote:

Nems wrote:

I seem to spend a lot of time arguing with my sat nav, 'turn round when possible' endlessly
Snotty cow

  What does she know nems....pffffff

Nuffink, she is a mare   

Hackney black cab drivers rarely get into any kind of conversation with you.

....Around here, the mini cab drivers will always strike up a conversation...It's a very inclusive area though.  ::D:: 

whats the difference between a sat nav and a woman

a sat nav says ..."in four hundred yards turn left"

a woman says ...in accusing tones...."you should have turned left four hundred back there"

victorisnotamused wrote:whats the difference between a sat nav and a woman

a sat nav says ..."in four hundred yards turn left"

a woman says ...in accusing tones...."you should have turned left four hundred back there"

Pfft  

...So sexism is alive and well, but only amongst the rabid RW, and between themselves on here.

The RW hypocrisy knows no bounds!

LMFAO

did the forum idiot speak...or was that you farting nems?

...So if you have this app, would you prefer to use that, or go out onto a street corner, and fight to hail a cab?

Sounds like taxis are far more regulated in the UK than here.

I took a taxi from L.A. to Pasadena once and the driver regaled me over the course of the drive with tales of running guns into Canada ...

hmmm ben...why does that NOT surprise me???

yes taxis are very regulated here...and for good historical reasons....

victorisnotamused wrote:hmmm ben...why does that NOT surprise me???

yes taxis are very regulated here...and for good historical reasons....

Hackney cabs have always had the the west end London market, they don't like the challenge towards their over pricing.

....That and, you have to fucking find one to hail!

....Now i booked tickets to see Culture Club live in December.

The whole process and adventure freaks me out to fuck, because i know that to get there will be easy, but to get back is going to be the biggest issue.

That app will make things easier for me..It will be a big thing for me to deal with, but it is worth it because i really want to see them...I've picked seats where it will be easier to deal with crowds etc.

...And if i have a few drinks before and load up on anti anxiety tablets, then i will probably be fine....Doug likes CC as well and is well up for it.

Nems wrote:

eddie wrote:

  What does she know nems....pffffff

Nuffink, she is a mare   

we call our Doris.....we chose the British accent.....when I was over - mum had John Cleese on hers.....turn left viva right.....it got old VERY quickly.

taxis? its why I had kids cause now its payback time boys...haven't paid fore one in 5 years! Score!

victorisnotamused wrote:hmmm ben...why does that NOT surprise me???

yes taxis are very regulated here...and for good historical reasons....

It should not, because we're all about the Almighty Dollar here in the U.S. of A. ... "historical reasons" sounds like commie bullshit to us!