Four ways Uber promises to improve passenger safety in 2015 December 18, 2014 Uber has pledged to improve safety for passengers across four key areas next year, following the arrest of one of its drivers in New Delhi for rape. The taxi firm, which operates in 260 cities worldwide, has courted controversy over its screening of drivers in the past, with some critics claiming it puts passengers [...]
The UK, Alibaba and Nigel Farage are the biggest winners of 2014 December 18, 2014 As the year draws to a close it's a good time to reflect and look back on who will be cheerfully toasting 2014, after looking at those poor souls who've been dealt nothing but coal this year. This lot have plenty of reason for good cheer this holiday season – here's our pick of the [...]
China’s Baidu confirms Uber investment plan December 17, 2014 CHINESE internet giant Baidu confirmed yesterday it is buying a stake in fast-growing international car-hailing service Uber as the pair chase growth in one of the world’s largest transportation markets. The companies did not disclose how big a stake Baidu is taking, nor how much it is paying for the investment, announced jointly in Beijing. [...]
Baidu confirms it’s buying a stake in Uber December 17, 2014 Internet giant Baidu – the Chinese equivalent of Google – has confirmed plans to buy a stake in Uber. The company hasn't disclosed the size of the stake, but it's likely Uber will use its newly-forged alliance to offer new features to passengers. Baidu has suggested its tie-up with Uber will "enable users of Baidu [...]
Uber protests in Paris: UberPop banned in France as taxi drivers stage mass demonstration December 15, 2014 France has said it will ban one of the services offered by controversial taxi app Uber from early next year, the same day as Paris' cabbies have staged a mass protest against the ride-sharing service. The French interior ministry announced that UberPop, a low-cost service which lets private drivers make money picking up passengers like [...]
Sydney cafe siege: Uber offers free rides after price rise triggers angry criticism December 15, 2014 Taxi firm Uber is offering customers in Sydney free rides out of the city’s central business district, where at least one gunman is currently holding a group of people hostage in a cafe. Uber had initially come in for criticism after its price for rides in the area surged to a minimum $100 as [...]
Anti-Uber taxi protests to be staged in Paris tomorrow December 14, 2014 Parisian cabbies could clog the city's streets tomorrow in a mass protest against a French court's refusal to ban a controversial service offered by taxi app Uber. Three taxi groups have called on cab drivers to block a number of main streets in Paris from 5am tomorrow, according to a report by news service France [...]
Uber launches first Christmas charity campaign following PR storms and bans in Spain and New Delhi December 9, 2014 After a seemingly never-ending series of controversies and criticisms, taxi hailing app Uber is hoping to raise some Christmas cheer with its biggest charitable undertaking to date. Uber has teamed up with US charity Share Our Strength to work on their “No Kid Hungry” campaign which aims to eliminate child hunger in the US [...]
Uber driver rape allegations: Can taxi app overcome its latest scandal in New Delhi? December 8, 2014 The controversial ridehire app faces public outcry after one of its drivers is accused of rape in New Delhi. Uber's success, its $40bn (£25.6bn) valuation and its rapid adoption as a verb is marred with questionable business practices and a rapid global expansion that has now brought into question whether Uber is “safest rides on [...]
Uber takes fresh hit after Dutch court bans UberPop taxi app December 8, 2014 Taxi app company Uber took a fresh hit today after a court in the Netherlands ruled that the San Francisco startup's UberPop service is now banned because of licensing issues. The Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal in The Hague decided UberPop drivers could be whacked with fines of €10,000 (£7,800) if they violate the rule, [...]