same old poop from the daily telegraph
London at a standstill but Uber claims taxi strike victoryThousands of cab drivers brought London to a standstill, but the app they're protesting about claimed a surge in sign-ups Uber has witnessed an 850% rise in sign ups, despite the London-based strikeBy Rhiannon Williams and Matt Warman
Up to 12,000 taxicab drivers brought central London to a standstill today, leaving key capital arteries around St James, Leicester Square and Piccadilly in gridlock.
Organised by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, the protest claims mobile app Uber is operating illegally. The app can be used to book rides in both licensed taxis and minicabs and measures the journey distance to calculate a fare which is paid direct to the driver. The LTDA argues that it acts like a taxi meter, which private cars are not allowed to use, and has helped to organise a protest which promised “severe chaos, congestion and confusion across the metropolis”. On Wednesday they appeared to have delivered it.
Transport for London has reached a preliminary ruling that permits Uber to operate, but referred the case to the High Court for clarification. The LTDA claims Uber should be banned or regulated differently.
Uber claimed sign-ups to the app rocketed by 850 per cent, however, as it also announced it had added black cabs to its service for the first time.
Jo Bertram, the app's UK and Ireland general manager, said it had seen its biggest day of sign ups since it launched in London two years ago.
"Today we’re seeing an 850 per cent increase in sign-ups compared to last Wednesday. The results are clear: London wants Uber in a big way. Unsurprisingly, the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA), which is stuck in the dark ages, is intent on holding London to ransom and causing significant economic impact to Londoners today, estimated to be £125m," she said.
“We join Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police in calling on the LTDA and others to call off this unnecessary and irresponsible strike. We passed TfL’s most stringent and comprehensive audit of a Private Hire Vehicle operator to date, passing with flying colours. We are proud to be in London, we are proud to serve London, and we are here to stay. Uber on London!”
Uber had added black cabs to its UberX, EXEC and LUX cars, allowing users to select UberTAXI from the app's vehicle options.
The San Francisco-founded app works by pinpointing the passenger's location via their smartphone's GPS. Once they have selected their desired model of car, pressing 'request' will alert you to the nearest available driver.
A cab driver will be alerted to a passenger's direct location, and the fare for the journey will be processed through the passenger’s existing Uber payment details - removing the need to make a last minute stop at a cash point.
Steve McNamara, of the LTDA, told the BBC: "We have nothing against competition but we feel that Transport for London has failed Londoners by allowing Uber to operate outside the law."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/n ... ctory.html
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