Uber of the Thames? French company invents Seabubble driverless boat that could be making its way to London shortly February 16, 2016 NULL
Fast Company’s most innovative companies 2016:OMG! Buzzfeed tops list ahead of Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Uber February 16, 2016 Move over Zuckerberg and step aside Bezos – there's a new innovator in town, and it might just surprise you to find out who. Beating both Facebook and Amazon, as well as Uber, Apple and Alphabet, it's media darling and animal listicle inventor Buzzfeed which has been named the most innovative company in the world. Putting a nail in [...]
From Google’s tax row and the Black Cabs vs Uber to Storm Imogen and the bank bloodbath: Here’s what got us talking this week February 12, 2016 We saw what London would look like if all the skyscrapers being considered got built. A Shoreditch development is bringing history to centre Stage. And we learned how much the Night Tube delay has hurt house prices in central London. Here's what got us talking this week The banking sector is facing its toughest period since [...]
As Addison Lee announces price cuts, the taxi battle between Uber and London’s black cabs shows perfect market competition is a long way off February 12, 2016 The idea of perfect market competition has exercised the minds of economists for centuries. In theory it would feature the presence of multiple small sellers; a homogenous product; an inability for any one firm to influence the price and; complete information. On this set of criteria, how does the London taxi and private hire market [...]
London cabbies not ’app-y over Uber’s offer of commission-free bookings February 11, 2016 London's black cabs have rebuffed private car hire app Uber’s offer of 12 months of commission-free bookings, with only the odd one or two hackney carriages available for hire via the app in the City over the past two days. Attempts by City A.M. to book a black cab through the app were fruitless with hours [...]
Black cabs and Uber can co-exist in London – and can even help each other get more custom February 10, 2016 Famous the world over, London’s black cabs are an iconic part of our city’s transport infrastructure. That’s why the impact of apps like Uber on traditional taxis has generated such a heated debate in the capital. Of course competition has affected the taxi trade. But surely the answer to the pressures faced by black cabs [...]
Black Cab protest is already snarling up roads in central London including Whitehall as drivers demonstrate over TfL and private hire vehicles including Uber February 10, 2016 If you're planning on travelling through central London this afternoon, you might want to avoid roads – Black Cab drivers went out on protest earlier today and it's taking a while to clear. The protest was due to start at 2:30pm, but pictures and videos on social media showed that many cabbies had convened on [...]
Uber and other private hire firms want to act as taxis, but without the costs: This is why Black Cab drivers are protesting TfL’s private hire review today February 10, 2016 A taxi demonstration is being held in Whitehall today in protest at this government’s intervention in proposed changes and updates to the private hire act 1998. Many proposals were both sensible and in the public interest. One of the changes was that any “app” may not display the whereabouts of an available vehicle in law this [...]
London doesn’t deserve PR gimmicks, but a thriving taxi and private hire market that caters for all February 9, 2016 London doesn’t deserve PR gimmicks but a thriving taxi and private hire market that caters for all. Uber’s decision to offer zero per cent commission to black cab drivers has been self-described as an "olive branch". This is slightly disingenuous. In the same press release Uber has questioned the need for the Knowledge, graduates of which are [...]
Uber lets Londoners book black cabs without charging drivers as olive branch in regulation row, but industry and Hailo reject offer February 9, 2016 Black cabs will be available to passengers through the Uber app in a significant move aimed at dispelling tensions between tradition and technology on London's roads. Uber will make the app available for black cab drivers to find fares with no commission fee for the first 12 months, allowing them to pick up passengers in the same way as Uber drivers [...]