2 ms·

But the question is, how many politicians and lobbyists were on the other side, trying to keep the status quo as it was, in favour of taxi drivers?

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
AnotherGoodName 4y ago
I don't know of a more corrupt industry than the taxi industry. The tight control of supply via taxi licenses, the low pay of drivers and the inability for any incumbents to enter. It was horrendous and hugely profitable for those in power and exploitative for anyone needing such services.
aunty_helen 4y ago
All you have to do is look at cities where they don’t have Uber and you’ll find a strong taxi mafia. Sometimes a literal taxi mafia like in Budapest. I was living in Valancia Spain, the first day I got there I remember walking down what turned out to be one of the main streets in the city to find it being blocked by hundreds of taxis in a peaceful protest. Ok fine, I didn’t know why and it was all cosure with the police. Then a few months later my ability to use a good quality app with verifiable trust (extremely important in some parts of the world) and recourse to the operator was suddenly taken away. I had to order taxis using one of the crap taxi middlemen apps which offer little to no support for when things go a wrong and I was back to riding in cars where the driver was actively trying to rip you off. Oh you’ve lived here 10 years but you need to look on the map of where one of the main streets is? Ok great, make sure the meeter is started before you do that. Oh it’s after 8pm so that short 4.50€ journey is automatically a minimum 6€ Ok great enjoy. 25€ to the airport? I’m sure this used to be 14… Taxis suck, lack accountability and will do anything it takes to maintain their market share while providing a horrible scammy service.
- nprateem 4y ago
  Which app was that?
aikah 4y ago
2 wrongs don't make a right. Uber operates like the mafia. I'm not going to take their defense just because they are a "just an app" or that the competition is as bad... Uber became popular because it leveraged VC and cheap credit to subsidized rides, it's becoming much less popular as we speak since ride fares are going up fast and it now needs to actually make money.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

AnotherGoodName 4y ago

I don't know of a more corrupt industry than the taxi industry. The tight control of supply via taxi licenses, the low pay of drivers and the inability for any incumbents to enter. It was horrendous and hugely profitable for those in power and exploitative for anyone needing such services.

aunty_helen 4y ago

All you have to do is look at cities where they don’t have Uber and you’ll find a strong taxi mafia. Sometimes a literal taxi mafia like in Budapest. I was living in Valancia Spain, the first day I got there I remember walking down what turned out to be one of the main streets in the city to find it being blocked by hundreds of taxis in a peaceful protest. Ok fine, I didn’t know why and it was all cosure with the police. Then a few months later my ability to use a good quality app with verifiable trust (extremely important in some parts of the world) and recourse to the operator was suddenly taken away. I had to order taxis using one of the crap taxi middlemen apps which offer little to no support for when things go a wrong and I was back to riding in cars where the driver was actively trying to rip you off. Oh you’ve lived here 10 years but you need to look on the map of where one of the main streets is? Ok great, make sure the meeter is started before you do that. Oh it’s after 8pm so that short 4.50€ journey is automatically a minimum 6€ Ok great enjoy. 25€ to the airport? I’m sure this used to be 14… Taxis suck, lack accountability and will do anything it takes to maintain their market share while providing a horrible scammy service.

nprateem 4y ago
Which app was that?

aikah 4y ago

2 wrongs don't make a right. Uber operates like the mafia. I'm not going to take their defense just because they are a "just an app" or that the competition is as bad... Uber became popular because it leveraged VC and cheap credit to subsidized rides, it's becoming much less popular as we speak since ride fares are going up fast and it now needs to actually make money.