[mseebach]

The focus on safety is a straw man. If the only purpose of regulations was safety, there would be no need at all to limit the supply. Uber wouldn't be opposed to require drivers to obtain a proper hire-car licence, the beef is with the artificial limiting of supply that prevents competition.

Source: in London, regulation allows unlimited numbers of "minicabs" which predates Uber but which Uber operates under.

[makomk]

There's no such limit in (for example) Germany but that hasn't stopped Uber from ignoring the regulations there.

[mseebach]

The regulation is different in Germany, private hire cars have to operate out of a registered address, and return to that address between hires. Obviously has no relevance to safety. But Uber is playing by these rules for "regular" black car Uber, the effort that was shut down was Uber Pop, which was meant to compete in the carpooling space.

[Zarkonnen]

And minicabs are somewhat infamous for being unsafe. The minicab rapist is something of a stock character in London.

[mseebach]

Yes, that's a story eagerly pushed by none other than the incumbent black cab industry.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qqmy7sldbax6xk/20140426_232545.jp...

And here's the article belonging to the headline: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/exclusive-i-fought-off-...

She was in an unlicensed minicab.