London faces chaos as black cabs go head to head with Uber May 8, 2014 London's black cabs are on the war path against innovative taxi app service Uber, promising to cause widespread disruption across the capital in early June. The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) argue that Uber's drivers are using an app to calculate fares. It is currently illegal for private vehicles to be equipped with taximeters. However, [...]
The super-duper Uber app April 30, 2014 Alex Dymoke on the minicab app that helped Londoners through the strikes THIS is my second day on Uber. I went for my test day and they said I was ready to start right away,” Omar my minicab driver tells me excitedly. He is polite and chatty, reminiscing about the days before sat-nav and waxing [...]
Uber offer a discount alternative to tube strike mayhem April 28, 2014 Eager to keep commuters moving throughout planned strike action on the Underground, Uber's new "KeepLondonMoving" promotion will allow Londoners to receive a 50 per cent discount for splitting a car. Those getting involved need only request a ride via the service's mobile app, then opt to split the fare with their "Uber-savvy friends". The deal [...]
Berlin follows Brussels with Uber ban April 17, 2014 Germany's capital city has followed the lead of Brussels and banned the insurgent taxi service Uber. The San-Francisco based company was served with an injunction by a Berlin court for hurting competition. In a sign that European taxi drivers are increasingly worried they may have to provide a quality service at a decent price, the [...]
Belgian court bans Uber app April 15, 2014 Taxi drivers in Belgium could face a €10,000 (£8,260) fine every time they pick up a passenger who has booked through smartphone app Uber, a Brussels court ruled yesterday. European Commissioner Neelie Kroes hit out at the decision, arguing it hurts consumers and innovators. “This decision is not about protecting or helping passengers – it’s about [...]
Why banning Uber won’t save Belgium’s anachronistic taxi industry April 15, 2014 A Belgium court has ruled that one of the world's most innovative taxi services, Uber, is now illegal. Should the company have the temerity to continue its business it will be fined €10,000 (£8,200) for each violation. It has been a quick end to the company's time operating in Belgium, which only began in February. [...]
How Uber takes over a city in just four days February 19, 2014 Uber’s global expansion has exploded bringing the service to 74 cities since the start of 2011 – the ride-hailing app added 13 new cities in just the first 50 days of 2014 alone – and spearheading this rapid growth are a crack team known as launchers. Described as a blend between US Navy Seals [...]