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Uber In Retreat Across Europe
HughPickens.com writes: Mark Scott reports at the NY Times that Uber is rapidly expanding its ride-hailing operations across the globe but some of Uber's fiercest opposition has come in Europe, where the culture clash between the remorseless competition of the US tech industry and the locals' respect for tradition and deference to established interests is especially stark. In Frankfort, Uber shut its office after just 18 months of operation spurred in part by drivers like Hasan Kurt, the owner of a local licensed taxi business, who had refused to work with the American service. Uber antagonized local taxi operators by prioritizing its low-cost service, and then could not persuade enough licensed drivers to sign up, even after it offered to pay for licenses and help with other regulatory costs that totaled as much as $400 for new drivers. "It's not part of the German culture to do something like" what Uber did says Kurt. "We don't like it, the government doesn't like it, and our customers don't like it."
Uber also pulled out of Hamburg and Düsseldorf after less than two years of operating in each of those German cities. In Amsterdam, Uber recently stopped offering UberPop, in Paris and Madrid, Uber has been confronted by often violent opposition from existing taxi operators, while in London, local regulators are mulling changes that could significantly hamper Uber's ambitions there. Uber's aggressive tactics have turned off potential customers like Andreas Müller who tried the company's Frankfurt service after first using Uber on a business trip in Chicago. Müller said he liked the convenience of paying through his smartphone, but soon turned against the company after reading that it had continued operating in violation of court orders and did not directly employ its drivers, who are independent contractors. "That might work in the U.S., but that's not how things are done here in Germany," says Müller. "Everyone must respect the rules."
Uber also pulled out of Hamburg and Düsseldorf after less than two years of operating in each of those German cities. In Amsterdam, Uber recently stopped offering UberPop, in Paris and Madrid, Uber has been confronted by often violent opposition from existing taxi operators, while in London, local regulators are mulling changes that could significantly hamper Uber's ambitions there. Uber's aggressive tactics have turned off potential customers like Andreas Müller who tried the company's Frankfurt service after first using Uber on a business trip in Chicago. Müller said he liked the convenience of paying through his smartphone, but soon turned against the company after reading that it had continued operating in violation of court orders and did not directly employ its drivers, who are independent contractors. "That might work in the U.S., but that's not how things are done here in Germany," says Müller. "Everyone must respect the rules."
Who would have thought?
Biassed much? This has jack shit to do with the "remorseless competition of the US tech industry and the locals' respect for tradition and deference to established interests".
It has to do by following the rules.
Actually it's probably less about that too. European cities are a lot more public transport/pedestrian friendly, so there is probably not as lucrative taxi industries to disrupt as say the US, where it's cars or nothing.
This. My wife and I were chatting to an Aussie couple in Copenhagen who were asking where they could get a taxi. I was about to suggest Uber as an option, but my wife pointed out to them, it's a 20 minute walk and the streets are pedestrianised the whole way. And if they don't want to walk, there's a bus every 5 minutes.
Not long ago getting public transport in a foreign location (even an English speaking one) could be a challenge. But with Google maps showing public transit it has become much more accessible.
They still went and got a taxi from a local hotel AFAIK.
People like the cashless society.
The state likes it because tax evasion is nearly impossible, and banks like it because it means more business for them, and they can rise prices and fees as they want, as there is no competition anymore (competiton between the banks? Nice joke).
But people liking cashless? I doubt that. A cashless state is a surveillance state. A cashless state is one where when a bank goes bankrupt, you can't pay with anything anymore. In a cashless state you pay so that you can pay money.
I think there is a fundamental difference between the way Europeans and USians think about companies. Europeans expect that they set the rules and companies operate within them, which is why they get upset at extreme tax avoidance that might technically be legal but goes against the intent of the law. USians seem to think that companies basically do what they want and there is little they can do about it, and good for them if they can get away with the kind of stuff Uber gets up to.
Just compare consumer rights and employment rights between Europe and the US. It's clear that the balance of power is tipped far further towards citizens in the EU.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
This is about Uber pissing all over labour and transport regulations and getting in serious trouble because of that. ... ... sort-of-dependable here in Düsseldorf. ... idiots.
And competing against dependable and solid public transport networks.
Well, OK, scratch that
If only Rheinbahn could sync their online, offline and station timetables, that would be a huge plus
There's also a cottage industry of ride-sharing going on in Germany for quite some time now (roughly a decade) with platforms such as mitfahrgelegenheit.de or blahblahcar.de covering some interesting parts of the market that Uber tries to target. In terms of ride-sharing Uber is actually quite late in the game by German standards.
As for transportation and labour laws: I took a taxi just this moring because I'd've been late with the tram & bike combo I usually use. The ride took approx. 16 minutes and costed 22 euros, tip included. The car was a Mercedes (almost all Taxis are Mercedes in Germany), the drive has to have a special training and "Personentransport" (it's what you think it is) drivers licence, he gets paid - not very big but he can live - and is tied in to healthcare and all the other stuff every citizen enjoys in Germany.
Bottom line: With public transport and the occasional luxurious taxi ride when time is short I see not that much of a market for Uber. And as for them getting legal flak for not following regulations - that's a thing I'm quite OK with.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
Yeah, poor "innovators".
Look, here is what really happened:
We have existing taxi services that are actually quite good and regulated to the advantage of customers (for example, by law a taxi cannot refuse to drive you just because it's close by and he would prefer to wait for a higher fare customer).
My hometown, Hamburg, is mentioned, and for all my life my experience with taxis there is that it is easy to get one, they are clean, drivers speak good german and know the roads, fares are transparent and fair and for years before Uber appeared, there were already Apps that allowed you to order a taxi to your current location with a few clicks.
I don't know the situation in the USA, but over here not many people even saw the need for something like Uber. If you "disrupt" something that works reasonably well, you are acting destructively.
Maybe Uber is cheaper, but it is not as transparent or fair with its various surcharges and basically auction system. I'd rather know I will spend 20â to get to the airport than leave it up to chance and maybe today I'm lucky and pay only 15 - or maybe 30, who knows? If you want cheap, most of Europe has pretty good public transport (from my house to the airport: just over 3â and only 10 minutes longer than by taxi).
And then Uber came in with arrogance and hubris and basically said "fuck you all" not just to the taxi companies but also to regulators, police and the law. Sorry, but we here don't share the american "all government is the evil spawn of Satan" attitude. Sure we bitch about tax laws and we think our politicians are corrupt, incompetent imbeciles, but we also value the rule of law and wouldn't want to live in the wild west. We don't think companies and people who break the rules are innovators, we think they are assholes.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
You don't need Uber for any of this shit.
Firstly, spending just one minute on Google to check the local taxi rules will help a lot.
Secondly, taxi Apps such as MyTaxi also allow you to rate the driver.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
I'm European, not a taxi driver and not police. I don't agree with your sentiments at all, no one I know of has used Uber and I doubt they would. Uber are an arrogant, race-to-the-bottom company. They only want to create their own monopoly, long term they won't save consumers any money over taxi services which will be squeezed out of the market (due to underpricing). Taxi services do need to start getting more internet and phone application friendly.
Germany checking in: I've yet to be in a poor German taxi. The cars have been in excellent condition, the drivers knew what they were doing, the prices were transparent and offered value for money. No complaints so far!
Background, I'm from Finland and I have a close friend who is a taxi driver.
Here the availability and the waiting time of "real" taxis is usually not an issue. Not even sure if Uber exists in my city. I do however see that there is a huge disconnect between what taxis are (and are obliged to) and what the general public perceives and this is part of the reason why people might like Uber while complaining about taxi prices.
Here taxis are not one big company, even if all taxis are similar and identical pricing - they usually are 1-4 car companies that have astronomical insurance costs and have to pay copyright mafia if radio is on. The insurance cost is a major factor why they are more expensive than Uber, also something most customers never know about unless they are in an accident where they get hurt or belongings damaged. In these cases the customer is fully covered unlike in some Uber car.
In addition the small taxi companies have to have their work healthcare, retirement payments and other things in order.
The amount of taxis the taxis companies cannot affect even if they wanted - there is a certain amount of licenses for a certain area (by gov. or municipality, not sure which).
Because how the system works, there unfortunately also lies the reason why there isn't a fancy, with serious money developed app for phones.
Tl;dr Drivers and customers are protected in "real" taxis.
*Free because college graduates pay back more in taxes to the government in 6 years than the cost of their education.
OK, I've heard of a lot of statements regarding our college graduates, but this bullshit takes the cake.
Why? Well because technically you need a fucking job in order to actually pay taxes on it.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazi...
How US students get a university degree for free in Germany
By Franz Strasser BBC News, Germany
3 June 2015
While the cost of college education in the US has reached record highs, Germany has abandoned tuition fees altogether for German and international students alike. An increasing number of Americans are taking advantage and saving tens of thousands of dollars to get their degrees.
More than 4,600 US students are fully enrolled at Germany universities, an increase of 20% over three years. At the same time, the total student debt in the US has reached $1.3 trillion (£850 billion).
(Hunter Bliss, South Carolina.)
Each semester, Hunter pays a fee of â111 ($120) to the Technical University of Munich (TUM), one of the most highly regarded universities in Europe, to get his degree in physics.
Included in that fee is a public transportation ticket that enables Hunter to travel freely around Munich.
Health insurance for students in Germany is â80 ($87) a month, much less than what Amy would have had to pay in the US to add him to her plan.
To cover rent, mandatory health insurance and other expenses, Hunter's mother sends him between $6,000-7,000 each year.
At his nearest school back home, the University of South Carolina, that amount would not have covered the tuition fees. Even with scholarships, that would have totalled about $10,000 a year. Housing, books and living expenses would make that number much higher.
Research shows that the system is working, says Sebastian Fohrbeck of DAAD, and that 50% of foreign students stay in Germany.
"Even if people don't pay tuition fees, if only 40% stay for five years and pay taxes we recover the cost for the tuition and for the study places so that works out well."