7 ms·

Last weekend, I visited Hamburg with my wife. I was surprised when I was told that I couldn't catch an Uber. However, on each German taxi (you know, the beige o

by naskwo 9y ago

Last weekend, I visited Hamburg with my wife. I was surprised when I was told that I couldn't catch an Uber. However, on each German taxi (you know, the beige ones) there was a sticker prompting me to download the "EUTaxi" (or similarly named) app, which I did. Brilliant. I was able to summon a car within minutes, and this app also allows for paying via the app. Uber's biggest threat is, IMO, the creation of a well-working "push to ride & pay" taxi app by other countries that are as similarly well organised as Germany. For me as a consumer, I could care less if I download Uber or EUTaxi. As long as I get my ride on time, and with a professionally licensed driver.

tgsovlerkhgsel 9y ago
It's a huge difference when travelling. I really learned to appreciate Uber when I was in a foreign country, and could, _without local knowledge_, summon a car for a reasonable price and high confidence that I wouldn't get scammed. Interestingly, the Uber was also consistently way cheaper (think "half or less") than unlicensed local bike taxis, so I suspect that it does provide a value to the drivers too (maybe not having to stand around on a corner hoping for a customer for hours). Meanwhile, in Germany alone, you'd need to have multiple apps depending on which city you're in with little consistency between them.
sreitshamer 9y ago
Me too. During a 3-day visit to Austin TX I used RideAustin maybe 10 times. It was flawless. The app works just as well as Uber's, the cars and drivers were just fine.
jmckib 9y ago
I do care whether or not my drivers are forced to purchase a medallion and abide by other silly regulations, because it affects the cost and quality of the service.
- mschuster91 9y ago
  > drivers are forced to purchase a medallion In Germany: while taxis are required to have licenses, we don't have such things as taxi drivers renting their medallions for a day. > and abide by other silly regulations Regulations usually exist for good reasons. Let's just take the common complaints about the German ones: - cab drivers have rigorous tests on their knowledge of the city's streets: you don't want to have drivers which are stuck on the side of the road if their GPS fails and also you don't want them spend a minute idling and typing the destination in the GPS. Furthermore, it makes for a more professional experience. - cab drivers have to know lots of tourist info (this applies at least for Munich, Berlin and Hamburg): you don't want to have cab drivers unable to at least explain a bit about the city. Cab drivers are, airport staff aside, the first point of contact for tourists. - cab drivers have to keep their car clean and maintained: once again: Cab drivers are, airport staff aside, the first point of contact for tourists. Which means that an unclean, falling-to-pieces cab will leave a negative impression on the city as a whole. Also, not properly maintained cabs are a safety risk. - cab drivers from city A may drive passengers to city B, but not pick up passengers in city B. Once again, this is not just to protect taxi drivers in city B (because the meter in taxi A may have lower tariffs), but also to ensure a competent driver for passengers in city B. Uber didn't grab much of a hold in Germany because the cabs here are not the total desaster that is found in other countries. Especially, we have the Beförderungspflicht, which means that a cab driver must transport you inside the licensed area, no matter how short or long the route, and especially discrimination on race or the 'hood where the passenger is hailing the cab is forbidden. The only reason for a cab driver to deny you transportation is if you're too drunk/drugged or armed/aggressive (both of which are a danger to the cab driver) or the destination is outside the licensed area (the cab driver still may set his/her own price for such routes, but very well deny you transportation if it's too far away).
  - ckastner 9y ago
    I haven't verified this for Germany, but I'd venture that cab drivers are probably required to have adequate insurance (which would be the most important thing to me).
    - makomk 9y ago
cheatdeath 9y ago
Probably myTaxi (https://de.mytaxi.com/en/index.html https://de.mytaxi.com/en/index.html).
- janfoeh 9y ago
  I think they mean http://www.taxi.eu/ http://www.taxi.eu/. It's a single app used by large taxi dispatchers all over Europe; in Hamburg, at least HansaTaxi uses it, the largest and IMHO best dispatcher. As far as I understand it, taxi.eu is an infrastructure service for dispatchers, while MyTaxi is a bit more Uber-like in that it provides a virtual dispatcher for non-affiliated (but still licensed) Taxi drivers.
laser 9y ago
I generally agree with your sentiment, but just to give another perspective I thought I should point out that there's a significant difference between those that can afford to travel to Europe and hail a ride from a "professionally licensed driver", and those that can afford to spend $3.41* to pool home from Boston to Cambridge at 2:30am on a Thursday night, with a guy returning home from work looking to make a few extra bucks, and three pickups along the way happy to get home affordably. Those of the latter type are far more numerous, and far more harmed by the increased prices due to regulation of ride sharing markets, than the typical financially well-off hackernewsian would generally be aware of. * VC dollars still subsidize Uber, but even as an operational whole to < 20% of the true cost of rides. On the other hand, the equivalent taxi would cost at least $12-15.
- josefx 9y ago
  > regulation of ride sharing markets You misspelled taxi markets. > with a guy returning home from work looking to make a few extra bucks, I don't know the local regulations, however isn't it still allowed to drive them at cost? Allowing the guy returning from work to cover the fuel cost by driving others? Sure its not the latest illegal getting rich quick scheme.
- ghaff 9y ago
  Does UberPool really profitably work at 2:30am? Boston experimented with late night public transit and basically couldn't make the numbers work.
- tormeh 9y ago
  Well, there's nothing stopping you from doing this in Germany. You just need taxi insurance. It's pretty lame that Uber can't accommodate this.
- zjaffee 9y ago
  Additionally, in smaller American markets, Uber is simply where the drivers are. Lyft's are almost always 15 minutes away, and because of that, they will always have surge pricing where Uber might not.
- halflings 9y ago
maccard 9y ago
This is how uber works in the UK. All cabs are licensed for private hire
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
Paul-ish 9y ago
Not defending Uber in particular, but another feature of the taxi apps is instant feedback about the driver. My father took a traditional taxi back home from the airport (SeaTac). The driver was on his cell phone the entire time and driving erratically. When my father went to the taxi board to report his behavior they told him "You have an appointment to stand before the board and make your case. It is Wednesday at 3:00PM". I don't know if the time exact, but the point it is during the day when most people are working. My father couldn't get that time off. The body responsible for overseeing drivers wasn't willing to take his complaint if he couldn't come and give it in person during the working day. It was an absurd policy that protected dangerous drivers. It is outrageous to me that the existing framework was clearly designed to protect bad drivers like that. With apps these days, you can give feedback right away inside the app. No need to go downtown to meet with bureaucrats. I think there is obviously a balance to strike here, but I don't think the current system has found it.
- JOnAgain 9y ago
  This, 1,000,000 times over. There are shitty cabbies the world over. They are constantly trying to scam me. In markets I'm familiar with I catch them and call them out. In markets I'm not, how do I know? Long way around or poor route selection, made up surcharges, putting a higher amount into a payment app than was on the meter, horrible riding experience due to BO, refusing to take me somewhere because it's too close, poor driving, or poor car condition. There is no feedback loop for these drivers. Contrast with Uber, when I have a bad ride, I complain and usually get my money back, or at least part of it. I also feel pretty confident those drivers won't be allowed on the network after a few of those. I realize there's another side to this, which is the drivers are overly penalized by poor reviews and some riders abuse that, but this seems a natural overreaction to the current situation of zero accountability. Uber, Lyft, or something else, whoever is providing the most pleasant riding experience at the cheapest price with convenience should win. From my experience, Taxi's are at the bottom of any list today.
- gkya 9y ago
  That's a problem with the local taxi organisation. In Istanbul if I have a problem with a taxi (or any other public transport vehicle/agent) it's enough to call 153 and report or fill out a form online. AFAIK they also accept SMS messages. Also, we have BiTaksi app here where we can give instant feedback and also see star-ratings about the drivers. So if your infra is bad, that does not necessarily mean the means is bad also.

by naskwo 9y ago

tgsovlerkhgsel 9y ago

It's a huge difference when travelling. I really learned to appreciate Uber when I was in a foreign country, and could, _without local knowledge_, summon a car for a reasonable price and high confidence that I wouldn't get scammed. Interestingly, the Uber was also consistently way cheaper (think "half or less") than unlicensed local bike taxis, so I suspect that it does provide a value to the drivers too (maybe not having to stand around on a corner hoping for a customer for hours). Meanwhile, in Germany alone, you'd need to have multiple apps depending on which city you're in with little consistency between them.

sreitshamer 9y ago

Me too. During a 3-day visit to Austin TX I used RideAustin maybe 10 times. It was flawless. The app works just as well as Uber's, the cars and drivers were just fine.

jmckib 9y ago

I do care whether or not my drivers are forced to purchase a medallion and abide by other silly regulations, because it affects the cost and quality of the service.

mschuster91 9y ago
> drivers are forced to purchase a medallion In Germany: while taxis are required to have licenses, we don't have such things as taxi drivers renting their medallions for a day. > and abide by other silly regulations Regulations usually exist for good reasons. Let's just take the common complaints about the German ones: - cab drivers have rigorous tests on their knowledge of the city's streets: you don't want to have drivers which are stuck on the side of the road if their GPS fails and also you don't want them spend a minute idling and typing the destination in the GPS. Furthermore, it makes for a more professional experience. - cab drivers have to know lots of tourist info (this applies at least for Munich, Berlin and Hamburg): you don't want to have cab drivers unable to at least explain a bit about the city. Cab drivers are, airport staff aside, the first point of contact for tourists. - cab drivers have to keep their car clean and maintained: once again: Cab drivers are, airport staff aside, the first point of contact for tourists. Which means that an unclean, falling-to-pieces cab will leave a negative impression on the city as a whole. Also, not properly maintained cabs are a safety risk. - cab drivers from city A may drive passengers to city B, but not pick up passengers in city B. Once again, this is not just to protect taxi drivers in city B (because the meter in taxi A may have lower tariffs), but also to ensure a competent driver for passengers in city B. Uber didn't grab much of a hold in Germany because the cabs here are not the total desaster that is found in other countries. Especially, we have the Beförderungspflicht, which means that a cab driver must transport you inside the licensed area, no matter how short or long the route, and especially discrimination on race or the 'hood where the passenger is hailing the cab is forbidden. The only reason for a cab driver to deny you transportation is if you're too drunk/drugged or armed/aggressive (both of which are a danger to the cab driver) or the destination is outside the licensed area (the cab driver still may set his/her own price for such routes, but very well deny you transportation if it's too far away).
- ckastner 9y ago
  I haven't verified this for Germany, but I'd venture that cab drivers are probably required to have adequate insurance (which would be the most important thing to me).
  - makomk 9y ago

cheatdeath 9y ago

Probably myTaxi (https://de.mytaxi.com/en/index.html https://de.mytaxi.com/en/index.html).

janfoeh 9y ago
I think they mean http://www.taxi.eu/ http://www.taxi.eu/. It's a single app used by large taxi dispatchers all over Europe; in Hamburg, at least HansaTaxi uses it, the largest and IMHO best dispatcher. As far as I understand it, taxi.eu is an infrastructure service for dispatchers, while MyTaxi is a bit more Uber-like in that it provides a virtual dispatcher for non-affiliated (but still licensed) Taxi drivers.

laser 9y ago

I generally agree with your sentiment, but just to give another perspective I thought I should point out that there's a significant difference between those that can afford to travel to Europe and hail a ride from a "professionally licensed driver", and those that can afford to spend $3.41* to pool home from Boston to Cambridge at 2:30am on a Thursday night, with a guy returning home from work looking to make a few extra bucks, and three pickups along the way happy to get home affordably. Those of the latter type are far more numerous, and far more harmed by the increased prices due to regulation of ride sharing markets, than the typical financially well-off hackernewsian would generally be aware of. * VC dollars still subsidize Uber, but even as an operational whole to < 20% of the true cost of rides. On the other hand, the equivalent taxi would cost at least $12-15.

josefx 9y ago
> regulation of ride sharing markets You misspelled taxi markets. > with a guy returning home from work looking to make a few extra bucks, I don't know the local regulations, however isn't it still allowed to drive them at cost? Allowing the guy returning from work to cover the fuel cost by driving others? Sure its not the latest illegal getting rich quick scheme.
ghaff 9y ago
Does UberPool really profitably work at 2:30am? Boston experimented with late night public transit and basically couldn't make the numbers work.
tormeh 9y ago
Well, there's nothing stopping you from doing this in Germany. You just need taxi insurance. It's pretty lame that Uber can't accommodate this.
zjaffee 9y ago
Additionally, in smaller American markets, Uber is simply where the drivers are. Lyft's are almost always 15 minutes away, and because of that, they will always have surge pricing where Uber might not.
halflings 9y ago

maccard 9y ago

This is how uber works in the UK. All cabs are licensed for private hire

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

Paul-ish 9y ago

Not defending Uber in particular, but another feature of the taxi apps is instant feedback about the driver. My father took a traditional taxi back home from the airport (SeaTac). The driver was on his cell phone the entire time and driving erratically. When my father went to the taxi board to report his behavior they told him "You have an appointment to stand before the board and make your case. It is Wednesday at 3:00PM". I don't know if the time exact, but the point it is during the day when most people are working. My father couldn't get that time off. The body responsible for overseeing drivers wasn't willing to take his complaint if he couldn't come and give it in person during the working day. It was an absurd policy that protected dangerous drivers. It is outrageous to me that the existing framework was clearly designed to protect bad drivers like that. With apps these days, you can give feedback right away inside the app. No need to go downtown to meet with bureaucrats. I think there is obviously a balance to strike here, but I don't think the current system has found it.

JOnAgain 9y ago
This, 1,000,000 times over. There are shitty cabbies the world over. They are constantly trying to scam me. In markets I'm familiar with I catch them and call them out. In markets I'm not, how do I know? Long way around or poor route selection, made up surcharges, putting a higher amount into a payment app than was on the meter, horrible riding experience due to BO, refusing to take me somewhere because it's too close, poor driving, or poor car condition. There is no feedback loop for these drivers. Contrast with Uber, when I have a bad ride, I complain and usually get my money back, or at least part of it. I also feel pretty confident those drivers won't be allowed on the network after a few of those. I realize there's another side to this, which is the drivers are overly penalized by poor reviews and some riders abuse that, but this seems a natural overreaction to the current situation of zero accountability. Uber, Lyft, or something else, whoever is providing the most pleasant riding experience at the cheapest price with convenience should win. From my experience, Taxi's are at the bottom of any list today.
gkya 9y ago
That's a problem with the local taxi organisation. In Istanbul if I have a problem with a taxi (or any other public transport vehicle/agent) it's enough to call 153 and report or fill out a form online. AFAIK they also accept SMS messages. Also, we have BiTaksi app here where we can give instant feedback and also see star-ratings about the drivers. So if your infra is bad, that does not necessarily mean the means is bad also.