France to ban Uber's low-cost service in 2015

AP ^ | December 15, 2014 | Staff

[C19fan]

Uber's low-cost ride ride-hailing service will be banned in France from the start of next year, the government said Monday as hundreds of taxi drivers blocked roads around Paris to protest what they claim are its unfair business practices. A new law tightening regulations for chauffeured rides will effectively ban the UberPop service as of Jan. 1, said Pierre-Henry Brandet, spokesman for France's Interior Ministry.

[C19fan]

Once again the modern incarnation of the Medieval Guild wins out. Europe got rid of guilds during the 19th century but you can't keep a good rent seeker down forever.

[freedumb2003]

Is France allowed to do that?

I thought all business-related rules and laws had to go through the EU.

[Balding_Eagle]

It’s going to be tough to violate the laws of nature.

Feminists and homosexuality have shown it can be done for awhile, but, in the end, it will fail.

Uber, or some variation, will prevail.

[MNDude]

what exactly is Uber?

[C19fan]

It is an app that users and drivers sign up for that matches people who want a ride with people driving around in their cars. Say you are in a major city needing a taxi. Instead of trying to hail on or call a taxi service you use uber and they will match you to a driver.

[The Great RJ]

France has very strong unions. When I flew into Charles de Gaulle airport a few years ago, I was surprised when the plane did not pull up to a jet-way at the terminal, but stopped out on the tarmac. We had to climb down a long flight of stairs and were loaded onto buses which took us to the terminal. While the bus was full, the driver was casually enjoying his Gallois cigarette and took his sweet time driving to the terminal. The process was repeated when we flew out. All I could conclude was that the French bus drivers union had somehow managed to abandon the jet-ways to keep their drivers employed.

[edh]

I haven’t been to CDG in over 15 years, but the last time I was there, I flew in from JFK. The plane rode up to the terminal. What I didn’t expect was a 1.5 hour trip to get from that terminal to another terminal ... I almost missed my connecting flight to Lyon :-). The shuttle driver was a moron.

[morphing libertarian]

we had direct gate access in and out of Paris to the US. However regional flight to Mulhouse was on the tarmac. Not unusual did that in LA and DC.

[Persevero]

I drive for Uber (I drive a taxi, too, on other days).

With Uber, you apply, with a decent car that meets their criteria. They clear you without much trouble (they do a cursory background check, see to it that you are insured, do a 20 point vehicle inspection, and basically turn your app on).

So, when I want to work, I clean my car up nicely, make sure it has gas, and turn my app on.

“Ping, Ping,” there is someone nearby who wants a ride. I tap my phone screen to accept it (you need to have a smart phone) and go get the people. I then quickly and safely take them where they want to go. Ride over, I tap my phone, and it automatically charges them whatever. There’s an algorithm. A ride to the airport is, usually, $30-40, for example, depending on the mileage and time. All tracked by GPS. Cash free. It’s quite handy for all. Once a week the money’s all deposited in my bank account, minus Uber’s cut, of course. I’m an independent contractor if you like, or, considering I am taking on all the risk and doing all the work, perhaps you could call me a sharecropper.

Drawbacks: It’s my car, my gas, my insurance (and ride sharing like this is not explicitly covered), I don’t have surveillance in my car, and from the passengers’ point of view, the background check on me is not all that thorough. I can’t pick up “flags.”

I prefer taxi because it’s lower risk and far more accepted and it wears out someone else’s car.

Still, I’m keeping my options open.

[SamAdams76]

It’s an amazing system.