Comment by random3 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by random3 | Hacker News Reader

Disclaimer: I'm an uber Uber user.

It seem that the German government ensures that everyone gets the same version of the laws. I don't see how that's wrong.

There are generally regulations (and not a few) wrt taxi. Drivers need to pass an exam, get licenses, pay a lot on various taxes, insurance, etc. Most of all, however, there's a limited number of taxi medallions.

Perhaps not all these do make sense, but that's not an excuse not to obey them.

So perhaps a government authority that ensures that it's own policies are respected is not unexpected.

So yes, Uber contributes a lot to the quality of the transportation. That's why I'm using it. But I don't see how that has anything to do with the fact that it's one the verge of the law (good or bad) or even against the law in some cases - which is what the German authorities decided.

I don't think this has anything to do with their self-driving cars or the German government taking care of the unemployment problem. In fact, it's probably helping employment.

Now how did this play out in the US?

> Most of all, however, there's a limited number of taxi medallions.

This is not generally true; it depends on the municipality.

Berlin, for example, does not limit the number of taxi licenses it hands out.

In any event, the specific service that Uber offers is regulated as a kind of limo-for-hire service and not subject to medallion quotas anywhere in Germany. As long as your drivers qualify (properly insured and licensed), you're good to go. Of course, there are existing services that already do that, and they're none to happy that Uber tries to skirt the regulations that they are subject to.

And because these regulations mostly just exist to ensure the safety of passengers (having a license, physical and mental fitness, insurance, cars being roadworthy) and basic quality (knowledge test), lots of Germans aren't particularly sympathetic towards Uber, as the only way they can be cheaper than companies that have been offering the exact same service for decades is by skimping on safety or quality. Taxi apps existed in Germany before Uber. And, as I explained above, it's not to avoid a quota, either, because there is no such quota for this kind of service.

How is it(removing uber services) helping employment,given we know that uber increases demand for taxi services ?

  given we know that uber increases demand for taxi services ?

Do you have a reliable source for this assertion?

How does it increase demand for taxi services?

If your answer is by making it dramatically cheaper by externalising the costs of running a sustainable taxi business... then how does having a greater number of people employed on wages that they cannot afford to live on benefit anyone?

It makes it easier to order a taxi. For instance in the case of Germany, I've sometimes walked a distance simply because I'm not sure if my German is good enough to handle the phone call to the taxi dispatcher, or just because I don't know the number of the taxi company/dispatcher/order central. With an app, I know how to use it.

I kinda suspect most taxi dispatchers in Germany will speak English.

Also if you have an app then you will have Internet and could just google taxi + city name

I very much doubt that. In large cities like Berlin or Hamburg they will but in larger cities you can usually just hail a taxi.

That is very very lame excuse. Because it suggests that you are unable to use Google and your preferred App store.

There is an App for it, called "Taxi Deutschland" (how obvious is THAT?) https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/taxi-deutschland/id454467694...

There is even a German wide number, which works in any major city: 22456 from you cell including text service http://www.22456taxi.de/

Thanks for the Taxi Deutschland hint. Unfortunately that app freezes on startup in my Android phone (I just get the screen with a selection of tutorial or starting app, but it locks up there.)

The app seems to be in German only, and it is of course Germany-specific. I can deal with that pretty OK but not all potential users can. Uber uses the same app for any country.

(Downloading an app local to a country while roaming there may be a rather expensive idea, BTW.)

How do you know that people can't live on the wages you are talking about? Why would people drive for Uber if they aren't profiting enough from the job?

Are you saying the service by itself is responsible for an increase in the utilization rate for a class of transportation (ie, the car)?

If that's the case, then did people stop ridding bikes? Taking the bus? Or did (many) people start using uber instead of other taxi companies because of the price difference (due to uber not paying for all the licenses and insurances other transport companies are subjected to)?

If the later is the case, then regulation exists to discourage unfair competition.

> Now how did this play out in the US?

Similarly. Though we have few relevant national regulations, so we continue to read headlines about Uber being banned or unbanned in seemingly random states and cities, for basically the same reason as Germany's decision.

I'm pretty sure the number of taxi licenses are not limited in germany.

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