In a reversal of the normal narrative of the fight between ride-hailing app drivers and traditional taxi drivers, an organization of Uber drivers in Atlantic City is suing the companies that operate yellow cabs in the region, claiming that they’re stealing customers and transporting those customers without insurance coverage. [More]
taxis
Uber Leaves Denmark Over New Taxi Law
By 3.28.17
Uber is again taking its toys and going home, this time leaving the entire country of Denmark after the country passed new taxi regulations that require drivers for hire to have meters and seat sensors, which apply to app-based transportation networks. [More]
UPDATE: Court Overturns Judge’s Order Barring Uber & Lyft In Philadelphia
By 10.7.16
This week, a Common Pleas court judge in Philadelphia issued an order barring ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber’s UberX from operating in the city. This afternoon, an appeals court has overturned that order, allowing these companies to offer rides in Philly (which they hadn’t stopped doing anyway). [More]
PA Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Temporary Truce Between Uber & Philadelphia
By 7.13.16
Not even 24 hours after a Philadelphia judge repeated her previous stance that the UberX car service is operating illegally in the city, the governor of Pennsylvania signed into a law a bill that authorizes a 90-day truce between Uber and the city’s Parking Authority. [More]
Judge Rules Uber Is Still Illegal In Philadelphia, Despite Temporary Truce
By 7.13.16
In response to a petition from taxi drivers, advocates for disabled riders — and even some Uber Black drivers — a Philadelphia judge has said that Uber’s UberX car service is operating illegally in the city, regardless of a deal reached last week to allow UberX to temporarily operate in Philly without threat of legal action. [More]
Taxis Still Provide More Rides Than Uber In New York City
By 7.12.16
Since bursting onto the transportation scene, Uber has served as a contentious rival for traditional taxis, with the industry arguing that the ride-hailing service has taken away business and depleted driver’s take-home pay. But a new report suggests that simply isn’t the case, at least in New York City, where traditional cabs continue to dominate the streets. [More]
Human-Carrying Drone Taxi Gets Approval For Testing In Nevada
By 6.8.16 — Updated: 2.13.17
Flying cars might not yet be within our reach, but there are companies out there working on technology that would let drones ferry around human passengers like flying taxis, so at least that’s something. [More]
Business Travelers Would Rather Take An Uber Than Rent A Car
By 1.21.16
Uber has been gaining in popularity in the corporate travel realm for a few months now, but according to one analysis, it’s now the No. 1 option for business travelers, overtaking taxis and topping rental cars. [More]
Couple Says Uber Driver Left Woman Stranded On NYC Sidewalk While She Was In Labor, Still Charged Her $13
By 1.12.16
If there’s one time in your life when you could really use a lift somewhere, it’s got to be when you’re preparing to birth a human being. But can an Uber driver who may be adverse to transporting a person in labor just leave you hanging? That’s what happened to one couple in New York City, who say that after the pregnant woman vomited on the sidewalk, their driver refused to give them a ride to the hospital… and charged $13 for the privilege of being stranded. [More]
Uber, Lyft Given Final Approval To Stay In Portland After City Council Vote
By 12.3.15
What a difference a year makes: it’s been almost 12 months since Uber and officials in Portland, OR agreed to work on new rules together to allow the company to operate in the city, and now, those rules have finally been approved, giving ride-hailing services the go-ahead to do their thing. [More]
Pennsylvania Proposes $50M Fine Against Uber For Operating Without Approval
By 11.18.15
Uber’s tendency to begin operations now and ask for permission later seems to have backfired in a big way in Pennsylvania, with two judges for the state’s taxi and bus regulatory agency recommending a $50 million fine against the ride-hailing company for operating without first getting the proper state approval. [More]
NYC Taxi Commission Approves Pilot Program That Would Use GPS, Tablets To Calculate Fares
By 10.16.15
The taxi you hop in on your next trip around New York City may function a lot more like Uber and other ride-hailing services: the commission tasked with regulating the city’s taxis approved a pilot program that would replace traditional fare meters with those powered by GPS location. [More]
Police: Man Pretended To Be An Uber Driver, Tried To Hug Fleeing Passenger
By 9.10.15
Reminder: If you didn’t call that cab or order that Uber ride, it’s not always safe to just hop in the car and hope to get to your destination. Police in Texas have identified a suspect in connection to an odd incident early last Sunday morning, where two female college students reported that a man pretending to be an Uber driver offered them a ride, saying his fare didn’t show up. [More]
Uber Pushing Back On New York City’s Plans To Put Limits On For-Hire Vehicle Fleet Expansion
By 7.20.15
In Uber’s quest to take over the world, expansion is key — the more drivers it has on the roads picking up passengers, the better its business will do. But in New York City, the company will have to fight to grow its fleet as local authorities consider putting limits on just how many for-hire vehicles will be cruising the streets. [More]
Survey Says: Uber Overtakes Taxis As The Most Popular Ride For Business Travel
By 7.17.15
The scene opens on a very busy businessperson wearing a business suit and carrying a business briefcase on a mission to do some serious business. Time is of the essence — but how to get there? Though in the past we might’ve seen such a character emitting a sharp whistle to bring a cab to a screeching halt, nowadays that person is likely going to pick up their smartphone and hail a ride with Uber, according to a new report. [More]
Police: Man Who Took 300-Mile Cab Ride Jailed Because He Couldn’t Pay $749 Fare
By 6.30.15
Can you take a cab on a cross-state ride? Sure. But you better be able to pay for it when you reach your destination, or you could face jail. One New York man found that out the hard way, after police say he didn’t have the money to pay his cab driver after a 700-mile journey. [More]
Amsterdam Uber Driver: Mysterious Masked Men Threatened Me
By 3.19.15
From the point of view of Uber, a service that summons cars and drivers over the Internet, maybe the fines imposed on the company by governments are a relatively cheap marketing expense instead of a nuisance. Yesterday, we shared that Germany has banned the company yet again. Authorities in the Netherlands have imposed a fine of $107,000 on the company for violating the laws that regulate taxis. [More]
When Is Taking A Yellow Cab Cheaper Than Using Uber?
By 3.18.15
Anyone who’s ever found themselves facing Uber’s surge rates has probably grumbled something along the lines of, “Well, at least cabs don’t charge more when it’s busy.” Which is true in most places with taxis licensed by the city where they operate. But what about other times when surge isn’t in effect — which service provides a cheaper ride? [More]
