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This situation is ridiculous, both for taxis and the government... and will only serve Uber in the long term. Let's share my view as a Frenchy frog :) 1. Taxi
by hbbio 11y ago
This situation is ridiculous, both for taxis and the government... and will only serve Uber in the long term.
Let's share my view as a Frenchy frog :)
1. Taxi drivers began selling each other taxi driver licenses (although they are obtained for free from the state, on a waiting list). They are angry that Uber registers in a new category, so they "skip" the entry price. But, it's only the taxis fault if they bought licenses and thought they had "value".
2. Violent taxi demonstrations should lead these drivers directly in jail. But it's France, so you don't go to jail... and if you're a lobby (and they clearly are), you even don't get arrested.
3. The government is 100% wrong to side with taxis from day one and punish Uber for the taxi drivers riots, rewarding people who harassed drivers and their customers, destroyed cars and burned streets. It's a huge blow for their popularity which is already very very low. It shows a poor image of the state to both citizens and visitors.
4. People will just stop using taxis more and more. Who wants to be driven by violent guys, and who already are usually bad drivers that even harass people who are not their clients (saw one cab driver last week yell at a woman who was wearing a summer dress)?
5. We're now sure that everybody in France knows about Uber!
(and it's not only about Uber, as there is also a French competitor named https://www.chauffeur-prive.com/ https://www.chauffeur-prive.com/ )
- dheavy 11y ago> and if you're a lobby (and they clearly are), you even don't get arrested Taxis are, in France, under the tutelage of The Ministry of Interior. They also have strong historical ties with the political party currently in power. The principal taxi company had or still has, within its ranks, a close friend of a former French president (François Mitterand, same party as the current one), and the former Cabinet Treasurer for the current president's campaign.
- bopf 11y agoI think this: >4. People will just stop using taxis more and more. Who wants to be driven by violent guys, and who already are usually bad drivers that even harass people who are not their clients (saw one cab driver last week yell at a woman who was wearing a summer dress)? is your strongest argument. Even before the days of Uber, London taxi drivers faced competition by mini cabs. And you know what, there have been a few times where I ordered my mini cab driver to let me out so I could hail a black cab, as the mini cab got totally lost and was just outright incompetent. If the French cab drivers would be even remotely as friendly and competent as a London black cab driver, there would be no need to worry and protest. Good quality always wins in the long run. Having a lobby and a government protect sub par services, does not serve the overall economy at all.
- antimora 11y agoYou said it would "only serve Uber in the long term". Except that there is some extra publicity, what else could Uber benefit in a long run?
- JoshTriplett 11y ago> 5. We're now sure that everybody in France knows about Uber! I'd be curious how this is being spun by the various local news services in France. It wouldn't be that hard to spin this to make Uber look bad. Consider a headline like "Uber spawned another violent outburst today", and similar spin on the details; it'd be easy to obscure who is actually responsible for the violence.
- stephengillie 11y agoUber seems to be the type of organization that benefits even from bad news. I'm cynical enough to believe their heavy-handed method of operating is part of their marketing strategy.
- thrill 11y agoHeavy-handed? Do they block roads and burn things if you don't ride with them?
- stephengillie 11y agoHeavy-handed with governments, not with individual users.
- hbbio 11y agoMost of the press keeps a neutral tone, which is professional. Approximate translation of Les Echos on my desk: "2500 taxis [...] protested against UberPOP, a service provided by amateur drivers", "the government puts pressure on Uber, the company behind the service".