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Appalling. Hating on Uber is popular right now for good reasons, but don't let it distract from the important battle to modernize and disrupt an entrenched indu

by lend000 10y ago

Appalling. Hating on Uber is popular right now for good reasons, but don't let it distract from the important battle to modernize and disrupt an entrenched industry (which goes beyond Uber). Is there any information as to whether this affects Lyft? > after a judge ruled Friday that it created "unfair competition" And in the linked Reuter's article: > The court ruled in favour of a suit filed by Italy's major traditional taxi associations. Italy's economic troubles should come as no surprise.

pyrale 10y ago
> but don't let it distract from the important battle to modernize and disrupt an entrenched industry In Europe, we actually have working public transportation. Taxis are therefore mostly a comodity for affluent people : most never use them. Uber is neither important nor a progress in terms of mass transportation.
- handedness 10y ago
  > In Europe, we actually have working public transportation. Not in Italy, you don't. In no developed nation have I ever found public transportation as unreliable as I have in Italy, and in that I'm including northern Italy.
  - rekshaw 10y ago
    Surface transport maybe, metro is very reliable (Milan)
    - handedness 10y ago
      Not, for example, when they decide to run all of the trains in one direction only, yet neglect to update the schedules displayed on screen in the stations, so anyone looking to head the other direction is stranded for an indeterminate of time. (If the surface transportation was any good, that wouldn't have been such a big problem.) Milan has as many problems as anywhere else in Italy, and it's not immune from their insane strikes, either.
- nkkollaw 10y ago
  > In Europe, we actually have working public transportation. Hard to generalize. In Italy public trasportation in most cities—even major ones—is absolutely horrible. In Florence, it takes me 45 minutes to get anywhere by bus instead of 15 by car, some areas are not served at all, and most buses don't run after working hours or 10PM at the most. Buses are often late, overcrowded, and many (most?) without air conditioning with 40C in the summer.
Markoff 10y ago
and what exactly is Uber bringing to table except breaking the laws? there are taxi aggregator apps where you can order really from your phone one of dozen LEGAL taxi services in your city without rush hour bullshit fee and other crap Uber is pulling off only thing to be thankful to Uber for is making taxi app, which would happen anyway without them, their prices are not that low compared to taxi, they can't compete with European public transport, but they keep breaking law and have unfair advantage
- lend000 10y ago
  > and what exactly is Uber bringing to table except breaking the laws? Low prices? Better services? More reliability and accessibility? Which laws are they breaking, except the ones that grant taxis an unfair monopoly? > they can't compete with European public transport Then how are they in business and why do they need to be banned? As other commenters have said, Italy's public transportation is among the worst on the continent.

by lend000 10y ago

pyrale 10y ago

> but don't let it distract from the important battle to modernize and disrupt an entrenched industry In Europe, we actually have working public transportation. Taxis are therefore mostly a comodity for affluent people : most never use them. Uber is neither important nor a progress in terms of mass transportation.

handedness 10y ago
> In Europe, we actually have working public transportation. Not in Italy, you don't. In no developed nation have I ever found public transportation as unreliable as I have in Italy, and in that I'm including northern Italy.
- rekshaw 10y ago
  Surface transport maybe, metro is very reliable (Milan)
  - handedness 10y ago
    Not, for example, when they decide to run all of the trains in one direction only, yet neglect to update the schedules displayed on screen in the stations, so anyone looking to head the other direction is stranded for an indeterminate of time. (If the surface transportation was any good, that wouldn't have been such a big problem.) Milan has as many problems as anywhere else in Italy, and it's not immune from their insane strikes, either.
nkkollaw 10y ago
> In Europe, we actually have working public transportation. Hard to generalize. In Italy public trasportation in most cities—even major ones—is absolutely horrible. In Florence, it takes me 45 minutes to get anywhere by bus instead of 15 by car, some areas are not served at all, and most buses don't run after working hours or 10PM at the most. Buses are often late, overcrowded, and many (most?) without air conditioning with 40C in the summer.

Markoff 10y ago

and what exactly is Uber bringing to table except breaking the laws? there are taxi aggregator apps where you can order really from your phone one of dozen LEGAL taxi services in your city without rush hour bullshit fee and other crap Uber is pulling off only thing to be thankful to Uber for is making taxi app, which would happen anyway without them, their prices are not that low compared to taxi, they can't compete with European public transport, but they keep breaking law and have unfair advantage

lend000 10y ago
> and what exactly is Uber bringing to table except breaking the laws? Low prices? Better services? More reliability and accessibility? Which laws are they breaking, except the ones that grant taxis an unfair monopoly? > they can't compete with European public transport Then how are they in business and why do they need to be banned? As other commenters have said, Italy's public transportation is among the worst on the continent.