[jbangert]

Well, in Germany the only thing you need a taxi medallion for is waiting at taxi stands and being hailed off the street. Everything else can be done as a 'rental car with driver' (i.e. livery), which is allow to receive driving assignments via radio (which I am sure also covers an app). There is no quota/medallion system for livery cars, nor any fare regulations, nor a requirement to act as a common carrier. However, the drivers are required to have a commercial driving license and special health/vision and defensive driving tests, which I think is what Uber is trying to avoid.

[mschuster91]

> which is allow to receive driving assignments via radio (which I am sure also covers an app)

Not necessarily. According to Wikipedia ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mietwagen_mit_Fahrer_(Deutschla... ) the livery car driver must not wait outside of the office for customers, but has to return to the office and wait there for new jobs. If he happens to get a job while driving, that's fair.

[jbangert]

Yes, but this is rarely enforced, especially if the minicabs don't wait in front of a hotel, but just take a slow route home (Or if as in the case of Uber, they get 'free'/unpaid time when they have no fare, as they are self-employed). What do Uber cars currently do when they don't have a fare?

[celticninja]

Carry on with their other taxi jobs from what I can tell.