[mk89]

It's a bit sad that things need to end up this way.

Eventually things will change. However, things could have been handled differently, let's say with a proposal to these new companies to offer rides and adapt with the taxi-system in the country. Meaning:

- taxi drivers need to have the highest priority and be sponsored as such (most of them paid for their license, and they MUST exist by law, because it's an essential service)

- all drivers need to pass some screenings and keep it up-to-date (police, etc.)

- all drivers need to pay taxes (because what they are doing right now is simply black-work)

- security on Uber needs really to improve if you want to offer a public service, because as it is now, people can impersonate drivers (there are stories about this)

[Normal_gaussian]

Things could have been handled differently you are right. But let us be clear - it is Uber that should have handled it differently.

[zuzun]

This is how it's done in Germany. German law has the concept of "rental car with driver". This sounds super fancy but it's essentially a light version of a taxi. You call one, it arrives 5 minutes later, you pay something like €7 for a ride, all good. Drivers need a concession, don't have to follow taxi rules, but also don't get benefits like being allowed to wait for passengers in public places.

[pmontra]

Same in Italy. That's a different license than taxi. Those drivers should go back to their base, possibly very far away from the end of the previous drive, and wait for another call. Taxi drivers complain that the ones working for Uber don't but I don't know the details of the fights of the last months. I use car sharing services and getting a taxi here is easier than installing an app (call a phone number, somebody answers), so I never used Uber and I wasn't that interested in this drama. I expect Uber drivers to go on strike and block streets like taxis did weeks ago. Obviously cheaper taxis would be a great outcome.

[mk89]

And how do you handle taxes? Isn't this "black" money?

[mantas]

I'm not sure how exactly it's done in Germany, but in Lithuania "black cars" main difference from "taxi" is "black car" have to agree on price before the ride while "taxi" works out the price after the ride.

Uber is currently enjoying third way there thanks to political support (which may or may not be related to Uber IT operations located in town). But overall it (and it's local competitors) are gravitating towards taxi side of things. Taxi license is dirt cheap though. The only issue is yearly (vs bi-yearly) car inspection and more expensive insurance.

[zuzun]

I don't know, that's the job of the tax authorities. They use company cars, they always drive back to their office, it's probably easy to check their books and see if their spendings on fuel match the declared rides.

[rorykoehler]

Only if the driver doesn't pay the required MwSt (sales) and income tax surely?