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I don't understand the laws; my link was to show that S.F. taxis operate as a cartel, and use city laws to enforce their cartel (through medallions and their qu

by uvdiv 16y ago

I don't understand the laws; my link was to show that S.F. taxis operate as a cartel, and use city laws to enforce their cartel (through medallions and their quota). I don't know if this is precisely what the UberCab C&D is about (it's not been published), but it does show that the S.F. transport market is explicitly and intentionally anti-competitive. That said, the other TechCrunch post seems to say the taxi licensing may be relevant -- the functions UberCab is doing can only be legally done by licensed taxis: >* Ubercab operates much like a cab company but does not have a taxi license. >... >* Limos in U.S. cities usually have to prebook an hour in advance, by law, while only licensed taxis can pick someone up right away but Ubercab picks people up right away (again without a taxi license). http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/24/ubercab/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/24/ubercab/ If limos need to wait an hour to make a pickup, and taxis do not, then UberCab (I think) is doing what only taxis can do and thus needs that license, not the limo one. The fundamental problem is not that UberCab is licensed as a limo rather than a taxi, but rather that it is impossible for it to be licensed as a taxi -- that (as I understand) there is no reasonable way for them to legally do what they are doing. I am not a lawyer.

lolname 16y ago
They could make a deal with taxi companies, to pass the < 1hr fares to them instead. Problem solved.
- uptown 16y ago
  Who needs laws when you've got bribes, right?
sp4rki 16y ago
Oh no I understood the point of the link. Taxi operations in SF really is mob controlled. The thing is, UberCab was never meant to be a replacement to taxi cabs, it's a way to provide people with expedited black car services. Ubercab operates much like a cab company but does not have a taxi license. This is incorrect. They operate much like a sedan limousine company. Limos in U.S. cities usually have to prebook an hour in advance, by law, while only licensed taxis can pick someone up right away but Ubercab picks people up right away (again without a taxi license). This is also incorrect, the pertinent statues in taxi and limo commission law is this: ...assuring that affiliated vehicles and the drivers of such vehicles provide transportation only through pre- arrangement made with the base station and do not accept passengers by street hail or other than by dispatch by the base station Using the phone app is by definition a pre-arrangement. The black cars are not picking random people off the streets, they're picking a preset customer in prearranged fashion. but rather that it is impossible for it to be licensed as a taxi Why should they? They are not a taxi company. Not only that, but they don't actually own the cars either, it's an affiliate program basically. They are a layer for independent private chauffeur services and limousine services companies to have ability to make their prearrangements on the phone.

by uvdiv 16y ago

lolname 16y ago

They could make a deal with taxi companies, to pass the < 1hr fares to them instead. Problem solved.

uptown 16y ago
Who needs laws when you've got bribes, right?

sp4rki 16y ago

Oh no I understood the point of the link. Taxi operations in SF really is mob controlled. The thing is, UberCab was never meant to be a replacement to taxi cabs, it's a way to provide people with expedited black car services. Ubercab operates much like a cab company but does not have a taxi license. This is incorrect. They operate much like a sedan limousine company. Limos in U.S. cities usually have to prebook an hour in advance, by law, while only licensed taxis can pick someone up right away but Ubercab picks people up right away (again without a taxi license). This is also incorrect, the pertinent statues in taxi and limo commission law is this: ...assuring that affiliated vehicles and the drivers of such vehicles provide transportation only through pre- arrangement made with the base station and do not accept passengers by street hail or other than by dispatch by the base station Using the phone app is by definition a pre-arrangement. The black cars are not picking random people off the streets, they're picking a preset customer in prearranged fashion. but rather that it is impossible for it to be licensed as a taxi Why should they? They are not a taxi company. Not only that, but they don't actually own the cars either, it's an affiliate program basically. They are a layer for independent private chauffeur services and limousine services companies to have ability to make their prearrangements on the phone.