UBER UPDATE INTL
HUNDREDS OF CAB DRIVERS PROTEST UBER IN WARSAW
Hundreds of taxi drivers last month blocked downtown Warsaw in protest over a Pol- ish draft law they see as favourable to Uber. According to
Phys.org, tradi- tional cab operators argue that Uber and similar firms represent unfair competition as their drivers can dodge regular rules and restrictions. Warsaw taxi driver Marek told AFP: “What we’re ask- ing for is fairness: that all (cab operators) be required to be licensed, have a taximeter, that they all pay taxes in the countries where they work and social secu- rity contributions too, that they pass exams as we do.” The draft legislation, which would regulate the activity of ride-shar- ing firms and has already been approved by the government, notably states that a mobile telephone app can replace the taximeter. The protesters blocked one of the Polish capital’s main streets, stopping before the prime minister’s office, then the US embassy and finally the ministry of entrepreneurship. Their representatives denounced a letter sent to the Polish govern- ment by US ambassador to Warsaw Georgette Mosbacher. According to portions of the letter leaked to the local media, Mos- bacher allegedly threatened to freeze US investments in Poland if Uber were to encounter trouble in the country. Cabbies are calling on the Polish government to abandon the draft law and introduce a new law that would protect traditional taxi operators.
Protester holding a banner reading “Stop illegal transporters”
the city government has levied fines and thrown up obstacles, such as an injunction by a judge that disal- lowed the use of some Argentine credit cards in Uber transactions in Buenos Aires. Still, Argentina has been the fastest-grow- ing market in the world for Uber since it started operating there in 2016, despite the coun- try’s recession, company data reviewed by Reuters shows. That success has angered the city’s taxi unions, who claim demand for taxis has been cut in half since Uber’s arrival. Protesting taxi drivers carried signs calling Uber illegal and its customers “corrupt.” Uber drivers have been the target of violent attacks by so-called “caza Ubers” or “Uber hunters.” It is common in Buenos Aires for Uber drivers to ask passengers to sit in the front seat to avoid draw- ing attention from local taxi drivers.
GERMAN DRIVERS STAGE NATIONWIDE PROTESTS
PROTESTERS IN ARGENTINA SAY UBER IS ‘ILLEGAL’
Thousands of taxi drivers snarled traffic in the center of Buenos Aires on Thursday 11 April to protest the threat to their business from Uber, in the latest reminder of the headaches the ride-hailing platform faces worldwide as it prepares to go public. With blaring horns, members of Argentina’s powerful taxi unions drove their yellow-and-black cabs or marched through the capital at the start of two days of protests. The protest underscores frustration among the city’s taxi drivers, who say that Uber undercuts them and steals customers. In Latin America, as in other regions, Uber faces regulatory hurdles where it often operates in a legal grey area. Argentina’s capital lacks a specific regulatory framework for Uber, but the firm maintains it obeys the country’s laws and pays taxes, and wants cities to pass ride-hailing regulations. Uber faces similar issues in neighboring Chile. The company says other Latin American markets, including Mexico City in Mexico, Rio de Janeiro and San Pablo in Brazil, and La Paz in Bolivia, have passed laws in its favour enabling the use of apps for transporting passengers. Lawmakers in Buenos Aires have largely sided with domestic taxi drivers, most of whom are unionised, who say Uber has an unfair competitive advantage because of its lower prices. To counter this,
MAY 2019
Taxi drivers across Germany protested on Wednesday 10 April against government plans to relax regulations that would allow ride-hailing ser- vices to operate in the country. The German Taxi and Rental Car Association (BZP) called it “the largest taxi protest in the history of the federal republic.” Up to 5,000 taxis drove at walking speed from three starting points to the Brandenburg Gate and buses stopped taking passengers to Tegel airport, as the road was completely closed off. Rallies also took place in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Wiesbaden, Stuttgart and Dresden. Currently, the taxi industry has managed to stave off greater access to the German market for services such as Uber. Uber has permis- sion to operate in Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf, albeit under heavy restrictions, including requiring special licences for drivers. However, the government has proposed relaxing those restrictions, prompting the taxi industry, as reported last month, to urge Berlin to shelve the reforms, saying it would decimate the livelihoods of taxi drivers. Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said the government needs to take a balanced approach towards liberalisation: “We need a good supply of taxis that operate in fair, competitive conditions and with good social standards.” BZP is demanding that every person who transports people com- mercially with their vehicle should be verifiably qualified to do so. In addition, vehicles used for commercial passenger transport must be clearly identified by means of coloured vehicle registration plates. To enable the authorities to check whether this qualification has been obtained, the electronic central register for goods and passen- ger transport companies by bus should also be extended to include taxi and rental car operators. It should also be possible for taxis to offer flat-rate fixed prices for pre-ordered journeys, they stated, or be allowed to participate in ride sharing services themselves.
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