4 ms·

We can definitely count the markets in which Uber operate, so that statement is a bit silly (hint look here https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ https://www.uber.

We can definitely count the markets in which Uber operate, so that statement is a bit silly (hint look here https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ and count them). They also definitely do not operate without significant issue in a many of them. Regulation for taxi services is important. The adverts in some countries telling you not to take unlicensed taxis are not there for fun. The training's there to help drivers. Anyone who can't be bothered is probably not serious about being a good driver or playing by the rules and shouldn't be welcomed into the industry.

moduspol 9y ago
> We can definitely count the markets in which Uber operate, so that statement is a bit silly (hint look here https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ and count them). In this context, "countless" was hyperbole. Obviously the Earth has limited places in which they can operate. > They also definitely do not operate without significant issue in a many of them. And in many of those, the "issues" are based on municipalities applying unreasonable or taxi-specialized regulations onto them. That in no way implies the service doesn't work, isn't safe, or isn't extremely popular and a great improvement over taxis. It simply means the right people in the right places would rather protect the status quo than rationally assess the situation and revise policy where necessary. > Regulation for taxi services is important. The adverts in some countries telling you not to take unlicensed taxis are not there for fun. The training's there to help drivers. Anyone who can't be bothered is probably not serious about being a good driver or playing by the rules and shouldn't be welcomed into the industry. Nobody's arguing against regulation of taxi services. The question is whether or not 35 hours of training is reasonable for Quebec only when somehow the rest of the world seems to get by without it. It is also not the case that nobody ever gets hurt, kidnapped, or stolen from by even "trained" taxi drivers. Lawmakers and regulators need to start using common sense and acting in the best interests of consumers instead of the taxi lobby.
- danielahn 9y ago
  Do you live in Quebec? Why do you get to decide what is reasonable for them? Personally, I have an issue if municipalities try to impose differential standards, but asking Uber to have its drivers conform to existing standards seems reasonable.
  - moduspol 9y ago
    I don't, and I don't. When "existing standards" clearly benefit an entrenched, poorly-performing business model at the expense of an innovative, disruptive, and tech-enabled business model, those standards should be reassessed. Innovation and industry move much faster than lawmakers and regulators.
- cucuuc 9y ago
  35 hrs is less than half of a class during a semester. The MSF can give you 10 hours of motorcycle training in a single weekend. By comparison, to become a licensed barber (or electrician, etc) typically requires thousands of hours as an apprentice. Hardly seems like a huge burden by comparison.
  - moduspol 9y ago
    It certainly isn't if you're planning to make it your career, but Uber markets driving for them as flexible and easy with little/no up-front costs. Clearly this would affect ride-sharing companies more than taxi companies, and it's likely no coincidence.
    - s73ver_ 9y ago
      Given that, right now, taxi companies do have to do this, and Uber doesn't, I would say no, this is going to affect Uber the same. As it should.
      - moduspol 9y ago
        Yep. And a policy that limited maximum driver hours to 20 per week would "apply equally to taxis and Uber," but would clearly hit taxis a lot harder than Uber. This is protectionism under the guise of "fairness." Nothing more.
        s73ver_ 9y ago
        I completely disagree. There is nothing unfair about this move. It affects both parties equally.
jessriedel 9y ago
> The adverts in some countries telling you not to take unlicensed taxis are not there for fun. Yes, and the adverts in most safe developed countries telling you this are overwhelmingly about defending a local cartel. The ubiquity of them tells you that "regulations are mostly about safety" is just not something you can assume. You have to actually check to see if they're justified.
olalonde 9y ago
> Regulation for taxi services is important. That's like your opinion man. Seriously, if you feel more safe in a regular taxi, just don't use Uber and leave the rest of us poor people alone. Your help is not welcome. Also, I think you are incredibly naive to think that the training is mainly there to "help" drivers.
- empath75 9y ago
  Except that Uber’s unfairly subsidized rides and skirting of regulations are driving regular taxi drivers out of business so they may not continue to be an option.
  - blfr 9y ago
    If people choose Uber over the regulated providers, they obviously don't want the supposed safety and other benefits provided by the regulation. I certainly don't.
    - s73ver_ 9y ago
      You're making some pretty big assumptions, there.
  - cucuuc 9y ago
    Wait a second. I despise Uber for many reasons. But the main reasons I go on an Uber is because the drivers in any city I’ve been in have been maniacs, while (in my experience) Uber/lyft drivers are the calmest, most restpectful drivers on the road. The fact that some venture capitalist is bankrupting themselves subsidizing the trip is a gift that keeps on giving.
    - jpetso 9y ago
      That's as anecdotal as it is devoid of any causal link. There have there been numerous incidents of rapist and otherwise crazy Uber drivers around the world, and the mere choice of whether you're an Uber/Lyft driver vs. a regular taxi driver doesn't reveal anything about how sane you are. At best, people get lucky to get assigned to cars whose drivers don't need the money and party do it for fun. As Uber & Lyft take over the traditional taxi indry's market share though, the quality of taxi drivers will revert to the mean, especially if the drivers are in fact the same people only operating under a different brand.
alexasmyths 9y ago
"Regulation for taxi services is important. " Some of them are. Safety. Insurance. Identity. But '35 hours of training' I don't think is one of them. People are getting very excellent service out of Uber and Lyft, there's no pragmatic reason for '35 hours of training'

moduspol 9y ago

> We can definitely count the markets in which Uber operate, so that statement is a bit silly (hint look here https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/ and count them). In this context, "countless" was hyperbole. Obviously the Earth has limited places in which they can operate. > They also definitely do not operate without significant issue in a many of them. And in many of those, the "issues" are based on municipalities applying unreasonable or taxi-specialized regulations onto them. That in no way implies the service doesn't work, isn't safe, or isn't extremely popular and a great improvement over taxis. It simply means the right people in the right places would rather protect the status quo than rationally assess the situation and revise policy where necessary. > Regulation for taxi services is important. The adverts in some countries telling you not to take unlicensed taxis are not there for fun. The training's there to help drivers. Anyone who can't be bothered is probably not serious about being a good driver or playing by the rules and shouldn't be welcomed into the industry. Nobody's arguing against regulation of taxi services. The question is whether or not 35 hours of training is reasonable for Quebec only when somehow the rest of the world seems to get by without it. It is also not the case that nobody ever gets hurt, kidnapped, or stolen from by even "trained" taxi drivers. Lawmakers and regulators need to start using common sense and acting in the best interests of consumers instead of the taxi lobby.

danielahn 9y ago
Do you live in Quebec? Why do you get to decide what is reasonable for them? Personally, I have an issue if municipalities try to impose differential standards, but asking Uber to have its drivers conform to existing standards seems reasonable.
- moduspol 9y ago
  I don't, and I don't. When "existing standards" clearly benefit an entrenched, poorly-performing business model at the expense of an innovative, disruptive, and tech-enabled business model, those standards should be reassessed. Innovation and industry move much faster than lawmakers and regulators.
cucuuc 9y ago
35 hrs is less than half of a class during a semester. The MSF can give you 10 hours of motorcycle training in a single weekend. By comparison, to become a licensed barber (or electrician, etc) typically requires thousands of hours as an apprentice. Hardly seems like a huge burden by comparison.
- moduspol 9y ago
  It certainly isn't if you're planning to make it your career, but Uber markets driving for them as flexible and easy with little/no up-front costs. Clearly this would affect ride-sharing companies more than taxi companies, and it's likely no coincidence.
  - s73ver_ 9y ago
    Given that, right now, taxi companies do have to do this, and Uber doesn't, I would say no, this is going to affect Uber the same. As it should.
    - moduspol 9y ago
      Yep. And a policy that limited maximum driver hours to 20 per week would "apply equally to taxis and Uber," but would clearly hit taxis a lot harder than Uber. This is protectionism under the guise of "fairness." Nothing more.
      - s73ver_ 9y ago
        I completely disagree. There is nothing unfair about this move. It affects both parties equally.

jessriedel 9y ago

> The adverts in some countries telling you not to take unlicensed taxis are not there for fun. Yes, and the adverts in most safe developed countries telling you this are overwhelmingly about defending a local cartel. The ubiquity of them tells you that "regulations are mostly about safety" is just not something you can assume. You have to actually check to see if they're justified.

olalonde 9y ago

> Regulation for taxi services is important. That's like your opinion man. Seriously, if you feel more safe in a regular taxi, just don't use Uber and leave the rest of us poor people alone. Your help is not welcome. Also, I think you are incredibly naive to think that the training is mainly there to "help" drivers.

empath75 9y ago
Except that Uber’s unfairly subsidized rides and skirting of regulations are driving regular taxi drivers out of business so they may not continue to be an option.
- blfr 9y ago
  If people choose Uber over the regulated providers, they obviously don't want the supposed safety and other benefits provided by the regulation. I certainly don't.
  - s73ver_ 9y ago
    You're making some pretty big assumptions, there.
- cucuuc 9y ago
  Wait a second. I despise Uber for many reasons. But the main reasons I go on an Uber is because the drivers in any city I’ve been in have been maniacs, while (in my experience) Uber/lyft drivers are the calmest, most restpectful drivers on the road. The fact that some venture capitalist is bankrupting themselves subsidizing the trip is a gift that keeps on giving.
  - jpetso 9y ago
    That's as anecdotal as it is devoid of any causal link. There have there been numerous incidents of rapist and otherwise crazy Uber drivers around the world, and the mere choice of whether you're an Uber/Lyft driver vs. a regular taxi driver doesn't reveal anything about how sane you are. At best, people get lucky to get assigned to cars whose drivers don't need the money and party do it for fun. As Uber & Lyft take over the traditional taxi indry's market share though, the quality of taxi drivers will revert to the mean, especially if the drivers are in fact the same people only operating under a different brand.

alexasmyths 9y ago

"Regulation for taxi services is important. " Some of them are. Safety. Insurance. Identity. But '35 hours of training' I don't think is one of them. People are getting very excellent service out of Uber and Lyft, there's no pragmatic reason for '35 hours of training'