Presumably, the taxi industry is "heavily regulated" for the benefit of the customer, then shouldn't customers flock to this excellent, regulated service on their own? Why are those artificial and arbitrary limits necessary?
In some Italian cities the situation is no different: taxi licenses are issued only on a fixed, limited number and are sometimes inherited from father to child, often sold for mind-boggling amounts (comparable to the price of a house). The service as a result is quite crap: long waits, high prices per km and all the most contrived surcharges you can think of (5 additional Euros for the airport and some tourist destinations, etc). Each time a deregulation is proposed (and it does happen) there are immense backlashes from a small category that would be not only stripped of a privilege, but actually, properly ruined: some cabbies have to take 10 yrs mortgages to buy a license. It's a legacy state of affairs that carries on only because it's difficult to remove, not because it's of actual advantage to anyone.
The last time I went to Brasserie Flo after a concert at New Morning I waited 90 minutes at a taxi stand for cabs behind a 50-foot line of other late-night revelers. Cabs came 10 minutes apart. I have never waited so long for a cab in a major city.
The industry may be heavily regulated, but it does not seem to be rigged in favor of the customer.
If I knew I would get a ride in 15 minutes, I would snap at this in every city I travel to.
The entire point of rational regulation (not to be confused with insane regulation, which is sadly common) is to avoid market failures such as the tragedy of the commons. By their very nature, those market failures mean that a regulated industry cannot compete with an unregulated one, but people are still better off with the regulated one.
That's not to say that these regulations are beneficial or that regulations are needed at all here (I have no idea either way), merely that you can't judge the utility of regulations by letting them compete with deregulated industry and seeing which one wins.
>the taxi industry is "heavily regulated" for the benefit of the customer
I get your point, but people decry the regulation that Uber is fighting against...until Uber implements free market "surge pricing". Then people are more than happy to leap back into the yellow cabs, which have their price regulated. Just read through some of the fallout.
In other words, all the free market vs regulation talk is lip service. People want what's best for themselves.
>If a service can't stand up on it's own, it doesn't need to exist.
Ask the people who were priced out of transportation due to surge pricing what they think of the situation. Now imagine if Uber had driven all regulated taxis out of business and people were forced to pay exorbitant surge-pricing fees.
I'm not really against Uber or this strategy, but the "market" doesn't always sort things out fairly.
In the beginning (after signing up) a bunch of orders are created and sent out to the drivers. The orders technically exist, but the drivers are told to not show up right now. Then, at least 15 minutes later, the user can tap a "show up now" button which tells the driver to actually pick up the user. So in the end you have to wait 15 minutes when using the service for the first time, but after that it is a lot faster because the orders created in the beginning can be "activated" immediately.
You could argue that it's Uber's attempts to "fix" pesky regulations that have got them into this mess in the first place. I doubt trying to circumvent this in the way you describe would really make the regulators any more sympathetic towards Uber.
There's an interesting business case study to be done between Uber and Hailo (based in London, far more popular there than Uber, expanding overseas), the latter of which was founded by cab drivers themselves and has taken a far more 'softly softly' approach to compliance (arguably at the expense of revenue, but the benefit of not having to deal with this kind of thing).
This is an interesting idea; however, it seems that it wouldn't necessarily help.
I'm uncertain whether the orders you speak of are reservations, or phonies with the purpose of circumventing the new bill. If the former is the case, drivers would still be unable to serve the greatest need - spontaneous rides. The latter could potentially work, but surely it would be caught eventually.
France is one of the most frustrating countries a young entrepreneur could ever work in. As soon as you find some way to bypass the rigidity of the system to create something new, to make life easier for people and actually create wealth, the octopus grows another arm to strangle you with. It just sucks the energy right out of you...
The UK may have its problems, but it's a breath of fresh air by comparison. It's no wonder 600,000 French people now live in London (and that's just the ones who registered at the embassy).
Last October, France passed a bill against heavy discounting on books. They have this thing, to protect the existing market order against the disruption caused by new channels.
My first reaction is always to think that it's ridiculous; but then again maybe all those measures are only meant to minimize the casualties of progress, more than just being an obstacle to progress.
Either occasional stings to take make an example of people, or using it as a possible additional charge to pile on in situations where there is already an investigation. Most laws do not have vigilant enforcement.
For example, (barring illegal searches or likely illegal 'stop and frisk') how do you enforce possession laws?
somehow I don't feel that we really need Uber, but simply more taxi plates. Uber is just a radio taxi, it's trying to use technology where the problem is legal.
[+] [-] spindritf|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] southpawgirl|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] officemonkey|12 years ago|reply
The industry may be heavily regulated, but it does not seem to be rigged in favor of the customer.
If I knew I would get a ride in 15 minutes, I would snap at this in every city I travel to.
[+] [-] diminoten|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mikeash|12 years ago|reply
That's not to say that these regulations are beneficial or that regulations are needed at all here (I have no idea either way), merely that you can't judge the utility of regulations by letting them compete with deregulated industry and seeing which one wins.
[+] [-] onebaddude|12 years ago|reply
I get your point, but people decry the regulation that Uber is fighting against...until Uber implements free market "surge pricing". Then people are more than happy to leap back into the yellow cabs, which have their price regulated. Just read through some of the fallout.
In other words, all the free market vs regulation talk is lip service. People want what's best for themselves.
[+] [-] elag|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mehphp|12 years ago|reply
So? That's how the market and progress works. If a service can't stand up on it's own, it doesn't need to exist.
[+] [-] thenmar|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] onebaddude|12 years ago|reply
Ask the people who were priced out of transportation due to surge pricing what they think of the situation. Now imagine if Uber had driven all regulated taxis out of business and people were forced to pay exorbitant surge-pricing fees.
I'm not really against Uber or this strategy, but the "market" doesn't always sort things out fairly.
[+] [-] schiffern|12 years ago|reply
Schedule pickups in exactly 15 minutes with one touch. Countdown timer on the app, etc.
[+] [-] w1ntermute|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] _cbb1|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bosma|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kailuowang|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] waps|12 years ago|reply
It scares me.
[+] [-] bjenik|12 years ago|reply
In the beginning (after signing up) a bunch of orders are created and sent out to the drivers. The orders technically exist, but the drivers are told to not show up right now. Then, at least 15 minutes later, the user can tap a "show up now" button which tells the driver to actually pick up the user. So in the end you have to wait 15 minutes when using the service for the first time, but after that it is a lot faster because the orders created in the beginning can be "activated" immediately.
[+] [-] objclxt|12 years ago|reply
There's an interesting business case study to be done between Uber and Hailo (based in London, far more popular there than Uber, expanding overseas), the latter of which was founded by cab drivers themselves and has taken a far more 'softly softly' approach to compliance (arguably at the expense of revenue, but the benefit of not having to deal with this kind of thing).
[+] [-] dasmithii|12 years ago|reply
I'm uncertain whether the orders you speak of are reservations, or phonies with the purpose of circumventing the new bill. If the former is the case, drivers would still be unable to serve the greatest need - spontaneous rides. The latter could potentially work, but surely it would be caught eventually.
[+] [-] freyrs3|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nationcrafting|12 years ago|reply
The UK may have its problems, but it's a breath of fresh air by comparison. It's no wonder 600,000 French people now live in London (and that's just the ones who registered at the embassy).
[+] [-] elag|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] raverbashing|12 years ago|reply
And you'll just order it 15min before your intended departure time
"In France, you have to pay a hefty price to get your taxi license"
How much does a taxi medallion cost in NYC again?
[+] [-] southpawgirl|12 years ago|reply
My first reaction is always to think that it's ridiculous; but then again maybe all those measures are only meant to minimize the casualties of progress, more than just being an obstacle to progress.
[+] [-] icelancer|12 years ago|reply
They are one in the same.
[+] [-] mentos|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jamespo|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sgdesign|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Crito|12 years ago|reply
For example, (barring illegal searches or likely illegal 'stop and frisk') how do you enforce possession laws?
[+] [-] _red|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] danielharan|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] thisosound|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nraynaud|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] auggierose|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Signez|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] letstryagain|12 years ago|reply