7 ms·

TeMPOraL is using the correct terminology, there's pirate taxis and there's also pirate radio, e.g. see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_taxicab_operation

TeMPOraL is using the correct terminology, there's pirate taxis and there's also pirate radio, e.g. see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_taxicab_operation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_taxicab_operation or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_radio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_radio. It means operating without a proper license, in this case from the government. You may have heard pirate radio referred to as "stealing the airwaves", one could also say that pirate taxis are "stealing the public road space", both of which are public/shared property. >Because, after all, by your standard this makes you a pirate. It's not TeMPOraL's standard, it's the government's standard and the laws that matter and which make it a "pirate".

logicallee 7y ago
fair response. Setting aside the terminology, why should these transactions be regulated in a special way (over the level of regulation on giving a friend a lift for free)? I think collecting taxes on the earnings is fair, but why anything heavier? what makes it so special?
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  Cities that regulate taxis usually do that because they treat them as an extension of city's transport infrastructure. Cities put certain burdens on taxis - like the requirement of picking up and driving passengers even if it's unprofitable or inconvenient (e.g. to/from outskirts, to/from hospitals), making some of the fleet accessible to elderly and disabled, carrying appropriate insurance, having somewhat fixed rates. In exchange, the city gives a bunch of privileges to the taxi companies (like use of bus lanes, or a degree of monopoly), so that they can make a profit despite the extra burdens. The balance between requirements and benefits is different in different cities, and indeed in some places it got skewed badly over time to favor the companies over the public. The problem with Uber is that they've entered this regulated space and unilaterally decided to ignore all those regulations. Sure, they don't get the special benefits, but they also don't share the burdens. Thus they easily outcompete the taxis on the profitable routes, leaving the regular taxi companies to work the unprofitable ones, which they usually are required by law to serve.
  - logicallee 7y ago
    Do ubers use those bus lanes you mention? Or do they just behave like rideshares, or if you give your friend a lift.

logicallee 7y ago

fair response. Setting aside the terminology, why should these transactions be regulated in a special way (over the level of regulation on giving a friend a lift for free)? I think collecting taxes on the earnings is fair, but why anything heavier? what makes it so special?

TeMPOraL 7y ago
Cities that regulate taxis usually do that because they treat them as an extension of city's transport infrastructure. Cities put certain burdens on taxis - like the requirement of picking up and driving passengers even if it's unprofitable or inconvenient (e.g. to/from outskirts, to/from hospitals), making some of the fleet accessible to elderly and disabled, carrying appropriate insurance, having somewhat fixed rates. In exchange, the city gives a bunch of privileges to the taxi companies (like use of bus lanes, or a degree of monopoly), so that they can make a profit despite the extra burdens. The balance between requirements and benefits is different in different cities, and indeed in some places it got skewed badly over time to favor the companies over the public. The problem with Uber is that they've entered this regulated space and unilaterally decided to ignore all those regulations. Sure, they don't get the special benefits, but they also don't share the burdens. Thus they easily outcompete the taxis on the profitable routes, leaving the regular taxi companies to work the unprofitable ones, which they usually are required by law to serve.
- logicallee 7y ago
  Do ubers use those bus lanes you mention? Or do they just behave like rideshares, or if you give your friend a lift.