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French Cabbies Say They'll Block Paris Roads On Monday Over Uber
mrspoonsi writes Parisian taxi drivers have vowed to block roads leading into the French capital on Monday to protest a court's refusal to ban urban ridesharing service UberPOP. Like their counterparts in large cities across the globe, Parisian taxi drivers are fed up with what they see as unfair competition from Uber's popular smartphone taxi service. UberPOP, which uses non-professional drivers using their own cars to take on passengers at budget rates, has 160,000 users in France, according to the company. A commercial court in Paris ruled on Friday that a new law making it harder for Uber drivers to solicit business could not be enforced until the government had published full details of the restrictions. "It's the straw that breaks the camel's back," said Ibrahima Sylla, president of France Taxis, whose organisation has joined several others in calling for the early morning protest on Monday. They have urged taxi drivers to gather at the northern Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport and the southern Orly airport at 05:00 am before slowly converging on the city in a bid to block arterial highways. "This is a fight against Uber. We're fed up. Allowing UberPOP means leaving 57,000 French taxis high and dry, and thus 57,000 families. And that is out of the question," said Sylla.
Thats whos causing the problem.
The taxi drivers are arguing that if they can't be the ONLY ones to drive people to their destination, then NOBODY can. And then they wonder why fewer people want to patronize them.
How will we know the difference between their protest and normal traffic?
Have gnu, will travel.
I believe a blockade of Euro Disney is the standard French response to any turmoil in the country.
-- Posted from my parent's basement
My industry is threatened. Quick! Do the only thing that doesn't make your industry any money on a given day. NOT WORK!
gun, head - POW!!!
Annoy everybody, including the people who would be using your services, in "protest". What a GREAT idea!
I travel all over the world for business. As such, I take a lot of taxi rides each year. But it doesn't matter if I'm in NYC, London, Paris, Berlin, Toronto, LA, Sydney, Rome, Vancouver, Chicago, or even my home base of San Francisco. Regardless of where I am, taxis are an awful experience.
Why is it that, in any major Western city, all of the taxi drivers are from the Middle East, India, or Pakistan? Why is it that they can't keep their vehicles clean? Why is it that they can't speak a fucking word of English? Why is it that they're always chattering on in Arabic, Hindi or Urdu through their mobile phone's earphones/mic, while driving? Why is it that they often don't have any frigging clue where they're going? Why is it that it always costs so goddamn much for such shitty service, especially when this industry is allegedly "regulated" in most areas?
I don't like the idea of Uber, or Lyft, or any of those services. I don't want some untrained, possibly-uninsured hipster driving me around. But then I look at the alternatives, and these amateurs actually look pretty damn good compared to the so-called third-world "professional" taxi drivers!
As a customer, I'm fucked either way. I'm guaranteed either shitty service when I go with a taxi, or I'm guaranteed a higher degree of risk when I go with some online service. I just can't win!
Oh, yes, causing massive traffic snarls is a sure way to with the hearts and minds of the public. Reminds me of the German train drivers who keep striking, not for more money or better working conditions, but because their union bosses are at risk of losing their negotiating power to a larger union. Makes everybody in German just love the train drivers.
Paris taxis charge to just come and pick you up. Get in the car, and find that the meter has already been running from wherever the driver let off his last fare. Given a new competitor, the taxi drivers could always compete by offering better service, or lower rates, or more reliability, or... Nah.
Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
For those poor French cabbies
what would happen if the cab drivers would also act as Uber drivers?
If you can't fight them, embrace them.
Haven't seen this anywhere yet.
Allowing UberPOP means leaving 57,000 French taxis high and dry, and thus 57,000 families.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
I've never driven a cab for a living but I've spoken w/ cabbies about it, and it's not an easy job. A good cab driver knows the turf. S/he gets you to your destination safely and efficiently... and doesn't rip you off or make you feel creeped out. Over time, failure to meet these criteria has resulted in licensing and regulation. The licensing requirements also provide a barrier to entry. So "official" cab services have evolved an ecosystem of sorts. And a skilled, hard-working driver can make decent, but not great, money. Here's a Huffington Post article that asserts some numbers for both Uber and traditional cabbies:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Now along comes Uber. Cool business model. Flexible price structure. Apps that get a ride to where you are when you need it. Disruptive to the old order. If you know what you're doing, you can use Uber to get around conveniently. If I understand it right, the Uber system addresses, using the clout of the company, some of the good cab requirements (e.g. they'll monitor their drivers).
But Uber disrupts an existing ecosystem... a system that lots of licensed, chartered drivers depend on for their livelihoods. While tech types typically revel in so-called "disruptive technologies," I worry that Uber spells the demise of yet another low tech job. I mean, shouldn't there be something between fast food workers and cube dwellers? So I can see both sides of this. There's not a simple answer to the problem.
The competition introduced by Uber/Lyft will force Taxi companies to justify their high prices. Perhaps they will do so by getting higher quality drivers?
Finally a representative of cabbies is honest about the real reason for the resistance to Uber and Lyft:
"Allowing UberPOP means leaving 57,000 French taxis high and dry, and thus 57,000 families"
Not regulations... not customer safety... PROTECTIONISM - pure and simple.
The problem, if I understood it correctly (not a given as I know only the german taxi situation well), is that french taxi have some hoop and loop to go thru (http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/F21907.xhtml roughly translated says you need a licence, you need to not have been guilty of certain crime, there is some lessons you ened to follow). All costs. But Uber does not follow those restriction, no formation, no licencing, no background check (except the one they say they do... And we all know company cut corner soemtiems and do not do proper checks).
That said all french taxi driver can go and take a dump for all I care. As soon as they announced blocking other innocent third party they lost *any* support from me they could have had.
A much better solution would have been to NOT work and massively go protest by foot before the assemblé or something. But hurting others innocent third parties ? A big No.
C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
visit randi.org
Any excuse to not work!
One strike per month is seemingly required by their union bylaws anyhow, so it might as well be about Uber.
... a prison sentence. It is one thing to express your opinion. It another to attack other people and physically restrain them from doing what they have every right to do.
What is more, these cabbies should have their licenses threatened. A cab license is not a right.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
It's another archaic, dying industry trying its best to stay relevant in a world that has advanced beyond them by the use of threats, lawsuits and force.
How about instead of causing a stink they create an app which allows people to hail an already in use cab which is heading towards their destination or whose destination is en-route to theirs. The original cab occupant can agree to it when stepping into the cab and cost can be split between all parties according to mile driven.
You'd then have licensed cabbies with lower costs to punters.
On the other hand if i were female or had children there is no way i'd use/let them use uber; i don't trust people but i'd much rather be driven around by a cabbie at double rate than by a complete, unlicensed, unregulated stranger.
I had to pay $60 for an eight mile (12 km) taxi ride from the Portland Oregon airport to downtown because the idiot public transit system there stopped running from the airport at 11:25pm. All the flights from the East coast and Midwest USA leave in the late early evening and arrive between 11:30pm and 1:00am. The local public transport system (TriMet) spends millions of dollars each year telling people how wonderful they are, but they can't even get one single bus an hour on this most important route of the city: the airport to the downtown.
To hell with taxis, and especially to hell with Tri-Met!
Anything that improves the basic transport needs of any 21st-century city is welcome!
Unless Paris is very different from elsewhere, the people that drive taxis do not own the licenses. The drivers derive no benefit from the license, the drivers get paid below minimum wage rates on contracts.
But most Taxi drivers seem to believe that they benefit from the licensing, from paying maybe 55% of their income to the license owner. Whereas many of them would be better off just driving for Uber. Or at least no worse off.
I demand that all drivers of these new fangled "horseless carriages" be required to carry a horse whip, and set of bridles manufactured by my company. This trend of horseless carriages will destory the horse whip and tack industry as we know it!
Also, I demand that people pay the whale oil subsidy, to compensate our union whalers who are no longer in a job.
And I also demand that people pay the candle tax, to compensate the candle makers.
These "books" and printing presses have also put many talented scribes out of work, someone must compensate them!
Just because the government regulates something doesn't mean it should be regulated in the first place. With taxis the gov found an industry they could force artificial monopolies on in order to raise large sums of money which hurts the consumer.
As opposed to the murican way lose anyways but stand in an aircraft carrier and declare 'job done'.
Why is this myth perpetuated in nearly every article about uber on slashdot. It is a private taxi service like every other and should fall under established regulation in any country it does business.
When Google provides self driving taxis for free, but with a big screen showing commercials in the passenger compartment.
Driving jobs will mostly disappear before you know it.
They probably just wanted an excuse for a holiday.
In Boston, I had a cab quote me $70 for a 2 mile ride.
Walking works just fine.
57,000 taxi drivers unable to make ends meet because of Uber? How many people were having trouble finding affordable transportation before Uber? After getting a good taste of what it's like to scrape by, maybe they should ditch their taxis and register with Uber instead of trying to force real inequity on the masses.
Here in Oslo, I really looked forward to Uber. Now that it is here, it costs a minimum of $20 more than any taxi company I compare it to.
Is it different elsewhere?
Do you know that the number of cab drivers in Paris hasn't changed since WWII? It's always been around 57000. So it's very hard to get a taxi in certain regions and at certain times. So the fucking cubbies should shut up.
Uber exists because cabs suck.
Customers aren't property. If cabbies want fares, they should start behaving like it.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
As such, I take a lot of taxi rides each year. But it doesn't matter if I'm in NYC, London, Paris, Berlin, Toronto, LA....
Have you actually ever taken a cab in London? The problem is the exact opposite of what you describe with only ~5% from minorities to the extent that they are trying to recruit more. As for "untrained hipster" they are required to pass The Knowledge before they get a license. They may have somewhat colourful characters but I've never had one who is not extremely competent, knowledgeable and driving a clear, well repaired cab.
MAybe "regulation" in those places just suck balls. Visit Finland, the heaven for regulation. Texis are nice, clean, driven by natives. (They most likely speak english as well, although may not be very talkative). Will help you with your bags, know where they are going, also have navigators for added extra certainty. Will be insured, clean car. If you want somehow specific car just call the taxi center in advance. Available at least 8 person vans, "bisnes" cars, cars with karaoke equipment, etc. At no extra. Taxis will be there even if it's not a busy time, as, due to regulation, they have shifts they have to take care of. This is because otherwise there wouldn't be taxis available at slow time. The only two downsides are the availability of taxis during high demand, and the cost.(which actually isn't a goldmine for the taxis, but still kinda expensive for customers)
Cry moar, luddite faggots.
Some of them will join Uber once their Fürer comes to visit and holds an inspirational anti-cab speech, while other will form an under-road resistance movement, keeping the hope up during the darkest hours of the Republic.
The Uber paying service will be banned starting from January the 1st, according to the French governement.
Uber has a good idea and it is of use to the public. Many other trades have fallen to progress. Can taxi cabs be any different? And we have seen nothing yet. Just wait until the housing industry is smacked down by 3D printing of dwellings. Matter of fact how much is there in a Tesla type car that can not be made by 3D printing? The frame and body and interior should be a cinch for 3D printing. I suspect that small boat building will fall to 3d printing as well. There has already been a canoe made by 3D printing. How long before a rugged 3D printed bass boat is available?
Actually, I can tell you as a French Guy that Paris' cabs drivers are absolutely hated, and that any alternative (or even anything that might hurt them) will have the Parisian's support!
The Taxi drivers are on their own, due to their permanent abuse of their customers. Well it's not how it looks like in the press, but ask any Parisian who isn't a taxi driver, he will only have spite for them legal burglars.
Taxi drivers are basically slaves. Don't expect good service where most of what they make lands in the coffers of the medallion owners.
I happen to know two families that own, each of them, a substantial number of taxis in NYC and abroad. Their daughters each own a few gran prix level horses, about $400K a piece, and pay about $40K a month in stable fees, not including trainers and veterinarians. And, I am sure, that's not including their pocketmoney, both girls ride 911s to the stable. That money comes from somewhere - it comes from the pockets of the drivers for hire that are now protesting. No wonder the service is crap and the drivers live in poverty. But that's not Uber's fault, that's the unionized/regulated industry thing, which protects the license/car owners at the expense of the workers.
How you can tell the roads are blocked by cabs. Isnt that pretty much the way it is every day?
Drove from the suburbs down south, not far from Orly, to work this morning, right downtown.
Guess what? Traffic was awful today. But it was also awful yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. If it's not summer vacation, traffic in Paris is terrible. Every day.
Worst protest concept ever.
Uber exists to encourage individuals to undertake highly illegal activities.
Europol should issue a warrant for the arrest of the executive staff of Uber.
If there was a app that encouraged people to buy drugs and deliver them to customers we wouldn't allow it no matter how "disruptive" it was. Or a app that allows people to put out a hit on someone on a open marketplace. Just because it is on the internet does not make it legal.
Operating a taxi without the proper certifications and licenses is still illegal.
Arrest Kalanick and let him rot in jail.
This reminds me of the deregulation of the taxi industry in Ireland in 2000, which significantly lowered the barrier to entry.
Previously, taxi licenses were restricted, and horrendously expensive. The practice of renting them to drivers, which was aptly referred to as 'cozying' was widespread. This restriction in taxi supply meant that in areas like Dublin, taxis were extremely hard to get. Queuing for 90 minutes plus was a common occurrence in central Dublin as people looked for taxis to get home after a night on the beer. Aided by less than liberal opening hours meant a large amount of people needed a scarce resource in a short timespan. Needless to say this was a big problem. Not wanting to disrupt this comfortable arrangement, taxis were loath to change. So change was brought in by the centre-right Government of the day.
Overnight, licences could now be obtained by suitably qualified individuals for €5000. This meant that many people driving the taxis now bought their own license, and led to an influx of entrants to the market. Over the next few years the tables were effectively reversed. Although taxi's made the same amount of money as the fares were regulated, the increase of taxis meant that in subsequent years taxis started to queue for punters, rather than other ways around. People who bought licenses just prior to the regulations were royally rogered. Predictably, a lot of ire from the old taxi guard was directed to the new generation of taxi drivers who did not face the barrier to entry and often came from different ethnic backgrounds.
While I was happy that getting a taxi was not a lot easier, there was a decrease in quality commensurate with the increase in quantity. It was a bit of pot luck if you got a driver who knew where he was going, irrespective of nationality. Taxi drivers often mentioned long working hours and long waits between fares, particularly at quieter times. The ones who just worked the busy periods seemed to do better, but for 'full time' profession, it proved to be very difficult for many to earn a living.
Oh right, there's a point here. A healthy market exists when there is a fair relationship between demand and supply, with a set of acceptable standards. Otherwise, someone is getting screwed.
Yup, being a dick to public transportation users, cyclists, delivery drivers and everyone else because your price fixing racket's getting some competition is totally the way to handle the situation.
Furries make the internet go.
Whoa whoa whoa! Those human drivers grew up, went to driver's education, and got a license to drive their taxis. Now Google wants to come in and act like the rules don't apply to them? Any sort of change to make things easier - whatsoever - is blatant theft from people who have already paid their dues. In the interests of protecting consumers from deadly uninsured robots and a broken liability system that is too boring to address, each computer operating a car should have to be at least 16 years old and pass a driving test.
If you don't like this situation, just write a letter to your congressman! I'm sure he'll read it, consider your position on its own merits, and introduce simple legislation to reduce his own power over the market.
instead listens to ordinary people who exercise their democratic voice.
Well, not exactly.
"Exercising a democratic yell on a megaphone" would be the appropriate way to describe the French way.
The small group which manage to piss off the most people is the one to obtain the attention.
Instead of having the most rich bully being at the top, you have the most annoying one.
Meanwhile, just on the other side of a border, you have countries like switzerland with a real direct democracy.
As in "it's the people who actually decide and have a final word on everything".
Want to change something ? Instead of pouring money or pissing of people, you just gather the necessary amount of signatures, and then you can submit your law propostion for voting. If it passes voting you law is passed and is enforced.
ANYONE can do it, just gather the necessary amount of signatures to be able to submit for vote.
That's what I call "Exercising the democratic voice".
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Prostitutes:coeds as taxis:uber brbr One tries to be sustainable, the other lives outside the economically sustainable boundary by not keeping itself fully accountable for the total cost of operations. The establishment lament is "how can we make a living when the tyros are giving it away below cost"? The tyros retort? Your place or mine?
"There is no god but allah" - well, they got it half right.
Build a better Krispy Kreme and you will own the world and everything in it.....
Uh, that's "Mission Accomplished", and why do you hate our freedumz?
That won't accept the umpire (court's) decision.
The government gave the monopolies to help the citizens because when taxis first came around they crowded the streets. Now the government can remove the monopoly because the taxi companies been abusing it. Again, to help the citizens. There is no duplicity here. They don't owe anything to the taxis that bought into their protected industry
Knowing the venal way in which French taxi drivers behaved at the Battle of Marne, they'll probably take paying passengers first and then block up the roads while carrying those passengers!
And then they'll expect the passengers to pay them!