4 ms·

It's not only about the "computer" or the software running the matching of passengers to drivers. It's about more boring topics like passenger safety, insurance

• mytailorisrich 4y ago
  Insurance is compulsory just to drive a car, passenger safety is resolved with the right checks. Both of which a trivial licensing issues. The point, certainly in France since Macron is prominently mentioned, is that traditional taxis are a heavily restrictive corporation. Number of licenses is very limited and they fetch 100k+ euros because drivers can sell their on when they leave the business. Traditionally they obviously only accept cash, fares are expensive, they charge extra by weight for luggage in the boot, phone booking only, etc. None of this is in the interests of consumers and Macron wanted to open up the industry. Like it or not, I think Uber provided the long overdue "kick in the butt" that the taxi industry needed in many countries.
  • dewey 4y ago
    > Insurance is compulsory just to drive a car There's a difference between the regular insurance you have to have for driving a car in most countries and the insurance for transporting people for profit. > passenger safety is resolved with the right checks. Both of which a trivial licensing issues. As it turns out this was not as "trival" as all the startups in this space thought when they bypassed regulation at the beginning.
    • mytailorisrich 4y ago
      Of course there is a difference, but it's trivial and irrelevant. Likewise for safety. If a company/driver operates without a license then it is an issue for the enforcement authority, Uber or no Uber. Again, ultimately the industry needed a kick in the butt and Uber provided it.