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In Germany at least it's less about safety and more about keeping competition at bay. Operating a taxi requires you to buy a "token" on the black market for aro
by badestrand 4y ago
In Germany at least it's less about safety and more about keeping competition at bay. Operating a taxi requires you to buy a "token" on the black market for around USD 50.000 and by law only token owners are allowed to pick up and drive around people. Rates are set by the municipality as well.
The market needs to break up and become more free.
Similarly, until a few years ago it was forbidden to operate busses between cities.
Uber has some negative aspects but opening up the market and allowing healthy competition is certainly a huge positive.
- Ekaros 4y agoWere the rates set by the municipality the minimum or maximum? If not the minimum why didn't free market compete with cheaper rates? And was there any other requirements? Like required training or mandating mandatory supply at all times?
- DocTomoe 4y agoIt's neither a minimum or a maximum, it's the rate. X amount of Euros for Y amount of kilometers (as calculated by the meter while actually driving, which leads to taxi drivers often chosing the 'scenic route'). Maybe extra fees for night drives, or for driving to the airport, or for coming to the pickup place at all (which makes taxis prohibitively expensive in nonurban settings).
- kuschku 4y agoThat only applies if you’re running a taxi – a transport service (not actually a taxi) can be run by anyone with a Personenbeförderungsschein (just a special driving license) and proper insurance. There’s a lot of competition on the German market for taxi-alternatives, many of which started long before Uber (and are often cheaper as well).