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  #61  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2014, 3:53 AM
spm2013 spm2013 is offline
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  #62  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2014, 4:37 AM
WarrenC12 WarrenC12 is offline
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Originally Posted by GeeCee View Post
And yet the taxi drivers support the status quo..
I'm sure they don't. But they have no alternative jobs and they've been told they will be fired if they try to work for Uber.

I'm not defending them, but they can be blamed for crappy service in the same sense that your McDonald's order taker can be blamed.
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  #63  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2014, 2:34 PM
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And yet the taxi drivers support the status quo..
Are you sure about that? Maybe they're just fearful of their bosses. The actual drivers hold zero power and are completely at the mercy of the license owners.
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  #64  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2014, 6:35 PM
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I'm sure they don't. But they have no alternative jobs and they've been told they will be fired if they try to work for Uber.
The funny thing is if there is no non-compete agreement in their contract there could be a few wrongful dismissal suits on the horizon especially if drivers decide to do this on their own time.
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  #65  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2014, 8:28 PM
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I also heard that the drivers are not allowed to say anything about it. Hope we end up with Uber though, I used it a lot in Seattle and it's fantastic!
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  #66  
Old Posted Nov 8, 2014, 2:07 AM
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Are you sure about that? Maybe they're just fearful of their bosses. The actual drivers hold zero power and are completely at the mercy of the license owners.
It's hard to provide examples with the recent social media flooding of the petition by Uber, but I had seen several different people who I presume are taxi drivers crapping on Uber for stuff like harassment while completely ignoring the fact that this kind of thing happens with conventional taxis nonstop.

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  #67  
Old Posted Nov 14, 2014, 6:01 PM
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  #68  
Old Posted Nov 18, 2014, 7:24 PM
red-paladin red-paladin is offline
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An interesting article:
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A row between Uber and the press has escalated after a senior executive at the lift-sharing company suggested it may hire a team to dig dirt on reporters who had written negatively about it.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30096050
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  #69  
Old Posted Nov 18, 2014, 7:33 PM
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This is exploding. Uber needs to fire this guy ASAP.
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  #70  
Old Posted Nov 18, 2014, 8:17 PM
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This is exploding. Uber needs to fire this guy ASAP.
big time
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  #71  
Old Posted Nov 18, 2014, 9:50 PM
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Originally Posted by WarrenC12 View Post
This is exploding. ...
Taxi bursts into flames near Rogers Arena yesterday (Nov 17, 2014):

Video Link

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2014/11/t...s-arena-video/
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  #72  
Old Posted Nov 25, 2014, 2:43 AM
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If Uber drove these things around I would totally defy the taxi cartel for a drunken ride home on a Friday night...

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  #73  
Old Posted Nov 29, 2014, 5:58 PM
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http://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/11/...sure-from-uber
Most major American cities have long used a system to limit the number of operating taxicabs, typically a medallion system: Drivers must own or rent a medallion to operate a taxi, and the city issues a fixed number of them. Now Josh Barro reports at the NYT that in major cities throughout the United States, taxi medallion prices are tumbling as taxis face competition from car-service apps like Uber and Lyft. The average price of an individual New York City taxi medallion fell to $872,000 in October, down 17 percent from a peak reached in the spring of 2013, according to an analysis of sales data. "I'm already at peace with the idea that I'm going to go bankrupt," said Larry Ionescu, who owns 98 Chicago taxi medallions. As recently as April, Boston taxi medallions were selling for $700,000. The last sale, in October, was for $561,000. "Right now Uber has a strong presence here in Boston, and that's having a dramatic impact on the taxi industry and the medallion values," says Donna Blythe-Shaw, a spokeswoman for the Boston Taxi Drivers' Association. "We hear that there's a couple of medallion owners that have offered to sell at 425 and nobody's touched them."

The current structure of the American taxi industry began in New York City when "taxi medallions" were introduced in the 1930s. Taxis were extremely popular in the city, and the government realized they needed to make sure drivers weren't psychopaths luring victims into their cars. So, New York City required cabbies to apply for a taxi medallion license. Given the technology available in the 1930s, It was a reasonable solution to the taxi safety problem, and other cities soon followed suit. But their scarcity has made taxi medallions the best investment in America for years. Where they exist, taxi medallions have outperformed even the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. In Chicago, their value has doubled since 2009. The medallion stakeholders are many and deep pockets run this market. The system in Chicago and elsewhere is dominated by large investors who rely on brokers to sell medallions, specialty banks to finance them and middle men to manage and lease them to drivers who own nothing at all. Together, they're fighting to protect an asset that was worth about $2.4 billion in Chicago last year. "The medallion owners seem to be of the opinion that they are entitled to indefinite appreciation of their asset," says Corey Owens, Uber's head of global public policy.. "The taxi medallion in the U.S. was the best investment you could have made in the last 30 years. Will it go up forever? No. And if they expected that it would, that was their mistake."
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  #74  
Old Posted Nov 29, 2014, 7:40 PM
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Originally Posted by st7860 View Post
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/11/...sure-from-uberTaxis were extremely popular in the city, and the government realized they needed to make sure drivers weren't psychopaths luring victims into their cars. So, New York City required cabbies to apply for a taxi medallion license. Given the technology available in the 1930s, It was a reasonable solution to the taxi safety problem, and other cities soon followed suit.
And it used to be that a train conductor had to have a physical token in order to use a block of track to ensure that no other train could also occupy it. But railways have long since moved beyond that.
Quote:
But their scarcity has made taxi medallions the best investment in America for years.
This is where it gets fishy. Sure, I can understand a desire for the city to control who drives a taxi on the basis of skill and background requirements. But why limit the numbers so drastically that one of these things is worth a million bucks? Artificially limiting the supply so much strongly suggests that there's some shady profiteering going on. And it obviously needs the collusion of the regulators. No wonder people are fed up with the system.
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  #75  
Old Posted Nov 29, 2014, 11:00 PM
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And it used to be that a train conductor had to have a physical token in order to use a block of track to ensure that no other train could also occupy it. But railways have long since moved beyond that.
This is where it gets fishy. Sure, I can understand a desire for the city to control who drives a taxi on the basis of skill and background requirements. But why limit the numbers so drastically that one of these things is worth a million bucks? Artificially limiting the supply so much strongly suggests that there's some shady profiteering going on. And it obviously needs the collusion of the regulators. No wonder people are fed up with the system.
A simple "You kiss my ass and I'll kiss your ass" system.
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  #76  
Old Posted Dec 30, 2014, 3:30 PM
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https://ca.news.yahoo.com/edmonton-v...140000883.html
Uber drivers are now charging for rides in Edmonton, even though the city considers the ride-share service illegal.
The company launched in Edmonton a week and a half ago. Rides were free until last Friday.
Uber drivers aren’t licensed by the city, which means they are running afoul of the Vehicle for Hire bylaw whenever they accept payment.
Director of licensing Garry Dizwenka says the city will start issuing tickets worth $1,400 or more.
"We're out there,” he said. “We do consider you illegal and we will be looking for you and issuing tickets."
The drivers CBC spoke with on Monday declined to be interviewed but they are accepting payment for rides.
Uber said city regulations need to be updated to take into account new ride-share technology.
Compnay spokesman Xavier Van Chau said Uber wants to work with the city.
“Just a few years ago, this type of technology that could connect riders and drivers didn't exist,” he said. “And so the regulations that are on the books couldn't have taken account of the realities of the technology that we have today.”
City council plans to discuss the issue when a report from administration is ready in January.
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  #77  
Old Posted Dec 31, 2014, 2:28 AM
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Originally Posted by st7860 View Post
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/edmonton-v...140000883.html
Uber drivers are now charging for rides in Edmonton, even though the city considers the ride-share service illegal.
The company launched in Edmonton a week and a half ago. Rides were free until last Friday.
Uber drivers aren’t licensed by the city, which means they are running afoul of the Vehicle for Hire bylaw whenever they accept payment.
Director of licensing Garry Dizwenka says the city will start issuing tickets worth $1,400 or more.
"We're out there,” he said. “We do consider you illegal and we will be looking for you and issuing tickets."
The drivers CBC spoke with on Monday declined to be interviewed but they are accepting payment for rides.
Uber said city regulations need to be updated to take into account new ride-share technology.
Compnay spokesman Xavier Van Chau said Uber wants to work with the city.
“Just a few years ago, this type of technology that could connect riders and drivers didn't exist,” he said. “And so the regulations that are on the books couldn't have taken account of the realities of the technology that we have today.”
City council plans to discuss the issue when a report from administration is ready in January.
I don't understand how they can issue a tick to a driver. I have not used Uber yet, so correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the driver does not charge or collect money from the passenger. Uber which may not even have a physical address in Edmonton or Vancouver is charging the passenger.
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  #78  
Old Posted Mar 24, 2015, 12:03 AM
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http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/03/v...-lawsuit-uber/
ancouver’s taxi companies have dropped their joint lawsuit against Uber for announcing plans to relaunch their car ride-sharing smartphone app in the city.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2014 by Black Top, Yellow Cab and Vancouver Taxi when Uber announced its intention to relaunch in the market following its first failure in 2013.

As Uber has yet to launch in Vancouver, the taxi companies are backing down with their lawsuit.

“The Vancouver Taxi Companies are thankful to Uber for respecting and abiding by the laws in The Province of British Columbia and The City of Vancouver, just as the Vancouver Taxi Companies have had to do for over 100 years,” reads a joint statement by the Vancouver Taxi Association.

However, the taxi companies warn that they will refile their lawsuit if Uber moves forward with launching a service that violates the legal requirements for taxi service.

“These legal requirements are necessary to protect the public interest in safe and reliable taxi services and cannot be ignored as Uber previously indicated it intended to do.”


Today’s announcement coincides with Uber’s application to have the lawsuit dropped.

In addition, on Tuesday Vancouver City Council will review a report on issuing new taxi licenses in Vancouver. It is expected to extend the existing freeze on new licenses, a policy that expires at the end of this month.

Burnaby City Council is also considering permitting the ride-share service within its municipal boundaries. But unlike their Vancouver counterparts, officials at Burnaby have been more open minded with the idea of Uber operating within their jurisdiction.

Regardless of local municipal opinion, Uber would still need to receive final approval from the Passenger Transportation Board.

Uber has sparked controversy around the world for working around local laws and bringing unfair competition to established taxi businesses. For instance, new data in New York City indicates there are now 14,088 Uber affiliated vehicles within the city’s five boroughs compared to 13,587 taxis.
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  #79  
Old Posted Mar 24, 2015, 9:25 PM
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Originally Posted by st7860 View Post
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/03/v...-lawsuit-uber/

“These legal requirements are necessary to protect the public interest in safe and reliable taxi services and cannot be ignored as Uber previously indicated it intended to do.”
It would be great if we could get reliable taxi services in Vancouver to begin with.
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  #80  
Old Posted Dec 10, 2015, 5:45 PM
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Meanwhile in Toronto...

Video Link


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CBC: Taxi driver who clung to UberX says he once drove for Uber

The Toronto taxi driver who confronted an UberX driver on Wednesday by clinging to the moving car's mirror says he drove for UberBlack, the luxury version of the ride-hailing service, as recently as last week.

Suntharesan Kanagasabai was among the hundreds of cabbies demonstrating against Uber near city hall when he was captured on camera pounding on the windows of a white Honda Civic that was being driven for Uber, then clinging to the car as its driver tried to flee.

Kanagasabai told CBC News he was just trying to make a point to the reporters who were gathered around him. He said he wanted the Uber driver to roll down the window and talk, but that the driver didn't want to "face the music."

"For the last two years we are watching," Kanagasabai said of the rise of Uber in Toronto. "We can't take it anymore." "We're on the job trying to make a living."

However, Kanagasabai, who works independently running a car service, said when Uber arrived in Canada he was one of the first people to sign up to work for the company. Up until last week, he sometimes picked up fares using UberBlack.

Now, he's vowed to stop working for Uber altogether.

CBC Toronto is attempting to contact Uber Canada to confirm Kanagasabai used its platform and to see whether he will still be allowed to drive for Uber following Wednesday's incident.

When asked whether he regretted signing up with Uber, he replied: "Oh my God, yes."

Kanagasabai said he initially believed Uber would play by the city's rules but now, he says, the company is flouting them.

Kanagasabai said Uber takes too much commission from drivers, and he decried Uber's new option, UberSelect, which links passengers with high-end cars (think BMW and Mercedes sedans with leather seats) that aren't necessarily black. That service, which is cheaper than UberBlack, is just the latest way the company is cutting into his earnings, he said.

The other problem, Kanagasabai said, is the glut of Uber drivers on Toronto's roads, The driver, who said he's been working in the business for 22 years, said every day he spots about 100 vehicles working for Uber — which are often easy to spot by a glowing smartphone mounted to the dash and a passenger riding in the back seat.

Mayor, taxi union condemn actions Toronto anti-Uber protest

Kanagasabai called on Mayor John Tory and police Chief Mark Saunders to do more to crack down on Uber, pointing out the city's enforcement blitz seems to have eased up since last summer's Pan Am Games.

As for the incident itself, Kanagasabai dismissed the idea that what he did was dangerous, adding he might be the one to press charges.

"I might talk to my lawyer, I don't know," he said. "I thought the gentleman was going to stop. I tried to talk to him politely."

CBC Toronto is attempting to contact police to see whether charges will be laid in connection with the incident.

Everyone from the iTaxi Workers Association to the mayor condemned Kanagasabai's actions on Wednesday.
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