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Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

(www.bbc.com)
256 points reubensutton | 5 comments | 25 Nov 19 10:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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harel ◴[25 Nov 19 14:37 UTC] No.21628429[source]▶
I'm not a fan of companies like Uber or AirBnB who attempt a violent takeover of a market. However, as a consumer who needs to get from A to B, or stay at some random city, I find those services invaluable. The black cabs in London are expensive, never around when you need them, and until recently might have refused card payments (now they just seem unhappy about it). At the very least I was hoping Uber would make that industry wake up and join the modern world, but instead they chose to protest and block roads. With Uber, I always have a car available within minutes and the prices are reasonable. I just hope that the competition will take their place (and driver mass) if they do end up leaving.
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thathndude ◴[25 Nov 19 14:39 UTC] No.21628452[source]▶
Yep. I'm always amazed at how quickly people crap on Uber. In hindsight it's not a particularly revolutionary service. But does everyone remember how much the Taxi system sucked?
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1. mikojan ◴[25 Nov 19 16:12 UTC] No.21629449[source]▶
That's a questionable dichotomy considering there's ample research showing Uber is cannibalizing public transit and regulations on Taxis have historically been put in place for a variety of reasons that one should at least consider.

Nobody denies that people like Uber for reasons but what does it even mean for a Taxi system to suck when compared to a super exploitative, unregulated enterprise such as this? As a driver, this is not only about compensation. It's about a critical lack of security in all aspects of your life. And if, as a passenger, you can't really afford decent service and working conditions maybe you are trying to live beyond your means and you should really be boarding a train or bus instead. And if you can't, that, to me, seems like a political problem that shouldn't be solved on the backs of some of the most vulnerable sectors of society.

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2. alexis_fr ◴[25 Nov 19 20:46 UTC] No.21632619[source]▶
According to what I witness in the current comments, a first step for taxis would be to mandate a working credit card machine, under penalties.

However, it seems so many many taxis were frauding their taxes, that it became cultural and enforced.

Which means taxis, which are already known as the top thief job in the world, also steal the citizen on a third level after the ride itself and after choosing the night rate at noon: taxes.

I dare to say Uber, as bad as they can ever be with wages under the legal minimum, can still be a better behaved citizen.

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3. mikojan ◴[26 Nov 19 00:50 UTC] No.21634623[source]▶
Taxes aren't theft. Taxes is when we as a society pool together resources to invest into the projects we as a society agreed to implement by means of the democratic process. If you don't like it you can organize and pick different projects or fewer of them or create a system that doesn't have taxes. Taxi drivers have nothing to do with it.
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4. qntty ◴[26 Nov 19 13:11 UTC] No.21637931{3}[source]▶
I believe that GP is saying that not paying taxes is theft from society.
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5. mikojan ◴[26 Nov 19 14:06 UTC] No.21638334{4}[source]▶
Oooh...