Traffic Snarls in Europe as Taxi Drivers Protest Against Uber
One proposal, which has the potential to challenge Uber’s business model, would allow consumers in France to see only licensed taxis on an app that would be created by a government-run body called Etalab.
Unlicensed chauffer-driven vehicles would not appear on the app. In addition, Uber would no longer be allowed to show the location of its vehicles on its own app.
.. The drivers, who often have to pay the equivalent of thousands of dollars or more for their licenses to operate, say Uber is skirting local rules that are meant to protect customers. But Uber contends it offers competition where little has previously been available.
.. France has been one of Uber’s toughest battlegrounds. Faced with protests by the powerful local taxi industry, which has been closed to competition for decades, the government in December sought to curb the rise of Uber and rival upstarts by forcing the car services to wait 15 minutes after receiving a request before picking up a client.
.. They also say the company’s technology, which allows drivers to use a smartphone-like device to calculate fares based on time and distance, breaks local laws.