French Taxi Drivers Stepping Up Protests Against Uber

Hi Guys

French taxi drivers are getting very upset about the expansion of UberPOP and are now making strong protests:

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-taxi-protests-over-uberpop-block-paris-airports-2015-6?r=UK

They see the service as unfair competition.

 

Not to mention the distance it has made. Strating from a simpel protest to burned cars and guerrila.
I think this age is similar to Rage against the machines.

 

It's interesting to see how in Europe people don't appreciate competition. This kind of attitude is rearing its ugly head in the US too, unfortunately. I see more and more whining instead of rolling up the sleeves and working harder, when someone's business gets threatened by completion. Without a doubt Uber is here to stay and it's the future.

 

Well stated.

smits1 at the link pretty much also agrees with the following sarcastic comment:
Yea...that's it...instead of competing, go on strike, protest and destroy stuff.

 

I don't think this argument is very reasonable. Uber is not competing on a level playing field with taxi companies. The taxi industry is heavily regulated/licensed.

The same thing happens in the casino industry. Do you think anyone can just open up a gambling establishment? Of course not.

 

Why is it not reasonable?

Going on a strike, blocking traffic, breaking car windows, vandalizing other people's properties, terrorizing the lives of tens of thousands is reasonable and ok? What is even more pathetic, their government is siding with the taxi driver union. Seriously?

In every country and every city, the taxi services are pretty much run by a 21st century mafia. Let's not forget about that. Don't think for a second that those taxi drivers are blocking the roads on their own accord. It's the forces behind them that want chaos and do not want to play fair.

 

I am not talking about the strike I haven't even read the article. I was talking about Uber competing with taxi companies. It's not as simplistic as saying "they don't want competition".

 

In that article it states: "...Arguing that the service (Uber) represented unfair competition, cabbies blocked roads to the French capital's Charles de Gaul..."

and

"We are faced with permanent provocation (from Uber) to which there can only be one response: total firmness in the systematic seizure of offending vehicles," G7 taxi firm head Serge Metz told BFM TV.

There's really very little left to the imagination as to what they want. They want NO competition. Period. They can cover it up with whatever lingo they want, the message is still pretty much the same.

Care to explain why is it not as simplistic as "they (taxi drivers) don't want competition"?

 

I disagree. Emphasis on the words "unfair competition", which I think it is, for reasons already stated.

 

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Certainly Uber has turned the monopolistic, politically driven taxi licensing in major cities on its head by adding disruptive competition to the mix where none existed before. However, because Uber is less regulated and, therefore, drivers and vehicles are less vetted, I think that they are very vulnerable to scandal (e.g., a sexual predator ferrying women around or someone driving a mechanically deficient vehicle causes the death of passengers, etc.)

The fact that ANYONE with a vehicle can be a cab driver these days because of GPS (remember that licensing used to involve the cabbie taking a comprehensive written and oral test on a city's roads, landmarks, etc., and that is not necessary now which paved the way for Uber) does not mean that you want ANYONE in ANY vehicle driving you around.

My guess, and this is just a guess is that both sides will end up meeting in the middle: the onerous, crazy-expensive taxi medallion system will be cut way back or even abolished and Uber will find itself under more regulation. And, taxi companies have to be asking themselves why they are paying for expensive medallions when they could just use the Uber model?

We are watching an industry being disrupted by technology and Internet Marketers should be watching closely to see how the process works.