[luka-birsa]

I can second this. Uber did have a positive effect on local taxis, forcing them to upgrade. We now have taxi companies that are reinventing themselves - apps are good, you can pay with CC in the app and the drivers need to adhere to some standard of professional ethics.

Imagine that - they are able to do that without the "Uber" model of ignoring regulation and doing the fuck they want regardless.

[zaarn]

Atleast where I live, southern germany, Apps for Taxi have been a thing for a while, to my knowledge predating Uber and the standards for them have been extremely high for decades at this point.

[yardie]

In my experience, previous to Uber, apps for taxis were just a mobile webview of their website. You could request a driver, they would give you an estimate in blocks of 5-10€, and feedback was nonexistent. Uber, you knew who your driver is and what they were driving, estimates are accurate to the cent, feedback is annoyingly encouraged, and payments are done in app and automatically. None of this, “the CC machine is broken, you have cash?” garbage.

[zaarn]

I never once had a "CC broken, cash?" question, granted, in germany it is also more common to pay in cash anyway.

The apps involved weren't bad either. You entered your location (or had it located via GPS), told the destination and it would give you the exact price that you could either pay directly at the taxi (before you drive) or via Paypal/CC/etc.

It was quite pleasant though apparently not very popular since a lot of people simply prefer public transport or their own car here.