..UBER UPDATE INTL...
the future of kaali-peelis which have been running in Mumbai for gener- ations.”
Uber blamed the strike on “a group with vested political interests” that it said has resorted to “mindless violence, vandalism and threats of intimidation.” Shailesh Sawlani, Uber’s general manager in Mumbai said: “I understand these taxi drivers have been in the trade for decades, and their interests should be kept in mind, but there are other ways to do it instead of impacting our operations. We’ve been pretty open that we want to be regulated so that we don’t have to go through this over and over again. You can have smart regulations that facilitate us as well as bear the taxi drivers’ interests in mind.” Uber has announced plans to pour $1 billion into India, which it sees as its largest potential market after China. Several Uber drivers have been attacked in Mumbai in recent weeks by assailants who smashed their car windscreens, snatched the smart- phones they use to ply the streets and threatened further harm if they did not quit their jobs. The incidents prompted transport authorities to warn Rane’s union against violence, although Rane denied involvement. Taxi unions complain that Uber’s cars usually hold permits meant only for carrying tourists, not operating a regular cab service.
DANISH TAXI DRIVERS PROTEST AGAINST UBER
Hundreds of taxi drivers parked their vehicles in front of the Danish par- liament building last month in protest against Uber. Christiansborg Slotsplads was lined with taxis on Wednesday 16 Sep- tember as some 300 taxi drivers demonstrated against what they said were illegal practices from Uber drivers. The Local DK reports that the group Taxi Drivers in Denmark (TID) organised the protest as a way to prod the Danish government into tak- ing on a formal complaint the taxi drivers filed against Uber when it made its Denmark debut in November 2014. “We want to tell the politi- cians that Uber is violating the law. They earn more money for driving customers than allowed,” TID chairman Søren Nikolaisen told broad- caster DR.
The taxi drivers argue that the ridesharing service Uber Pop creates unfair competition because Uber’s drivers and vehicles aren’t required to live up to the same requirements as others in the taxi business, one of the most thoroughly regulated industries in Denmark. The Danish Transit Authority filed a police complaint against Uber in November and the Copenhagen Police confirmed in May that prelimi- nary charges had been filed against the American company, but the case has yet to go to court. TID says they have also reported around 200 Uber drivers to the police this year but no action has been taken.
AUSTRALIA FACES PROTEST STRIKES AGAINST UBER
Around 400 drivers rallied on the steps of Victoria’s state parliament in Melbourne on Thursday 10 September demanding the government crack down on Uber, which they say is an illegal, unregulated service. “Enough is enough. We will start striking for 24 hours from next week,” Victorian Taxi Families spokesman David Singh said in Melbourne. The strikes are planned in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales, with other states also considering action. Australian cabbies want Uber to either pay the same licence and regis- tration fees they do or be shut down altogether. Until a resolution regarding Uber is reached, taxi firms have said the widespread strikes will continue across the country. There was another anti-Uber demon-
OCTOBER 2015
stration in Sydney outside the New South Wales parliament. A spokesperson for Uber told Mashable Australia “sensible, safety- based ride-sharing regulation” was required. Meanwhile on 16 September, Katter’s Australian Party MP Rob Katter introduced a Bill which if passed, would see Uber drivers stripped of three demerit points if caught, with a loss of six demerit points if they get caught more than once. Mr Katter said the ride-share service made a mockery of the existing taxi industry. “There has been an industry formed upon regulation that has been carefully considered over the years within this parliament to provide a service,” Mr Katter said. He said the existing laws and regulations “sit there for a purpose”. “For someone to come in outside and circumnavigate those laws and compete with existing people who had invested heavily in that industry I think is an unfair advantage,” Mr Katter said. He urged the government to take swift action to regulate the new oper- ator that has amassed more than $1.7 million in fines since its launch. Meanwhile, Queensland’s opposition says it supports innovation in the taxi industry but not at the expense of passenger safety. Shadow trans- port minister Scott Emerson is interested to see where ride-sharing app Uber fits in the government’s five-year taxi strategy, due later this year.
SAO PAULO CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO PROHIBIT UBER
The Sao Paulo city council voted 43-3last month to prohibit the use of smartphone-based ride hailing applications such as Uber in Brazil’s largest city. During the entire day, thousands of taxi drivers blocked several of the city’s streets and avenues to protest against Uber and pressure councilmen to vote in favour of the law that bans the serv- ice in this city of 12 million.
The council has ten days to send the approved law to City Hall. Mayor Fernando Haddad will then have two weeks to approve or veto the bill.
In its first vote on June 30, the council voted 48-1 to prohibit the use of ride-hailing services such as Uber. Rio de Janeiro’s city council has banned Uber, but Mayor Eduardo Paes must still ratify it. Uber has been banned in Brasilia and Belo Hor- izonte, the only other two cities where the service is present. If the measure goes into effect, Sao Paulo Uber drivers who ignore the ban can be fined 1,700 reals ($447) and have their cars confiscated. The service has drawn increasing use since last year’s Football World Cup, with many of its cars cleaner and newer than those of regular cabs.
Taxi drivers block a street outside city council headquarters in Sao Paulo
Cab drivers complain Uber is unfair competition because its drivers don’t have to pay city fees or undergo official inspections. To prevent the expansion of Uber elsewhere in the country, city coun- cils in at least another 13 state capitals have laws pending approval to ban the service.
In Maceio, capital of the northeastern state of Alagoas, city councilman Galba Netto recently told reporters: “We are trying to prevent a future problem, because the arrival of Uber in our city would be a disaster.” On its Facebook page, Uber said people “who cross the city every day have the right to choose how they will travel the streets of Sao Paulo.”
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