Today’s protest at Palestra was a complete success.
Amazing support from all Taxi trade orgs, Mayoral candidate David Lamie, the GMB and even representatives from our French colleagues in Paris.
Together, drivers formed a united front against TfL’s refusal to fully enforce private hire regulations in regards to certain company’s abusing the regulations and statutory legislation.
A big “Merci Beaucoup” to Milan who came over from Paris this morning to support his London brothers. A true case of
entente cordial at its best.
The Police tried to cut off access to Blackfriars Road, therefore taking the string out of the demo by cutting off a constant supply of Taxis.
But their tactics were outflanked by the Cabbies who realised what was happening.
Engines were turned off and the protest took the form of an impromptu sit in (if it’s good enough for cyclists, it’s good enough for cabbies)
Drivers sat under the railway arch out of the scorching direct sunlight, singing songs, while organisers spoke to traffic police, demanding to exercise their right to peacefully demonstrate. To our amazement, the police agreed not to employ heavy handed tactics and the tow away truck was removed.
Most of the officers in attendance were good humoured with words of support here and there. The officer I spoke with who was diverting traffic from Blackfriars Bridge said he fully understood our protest and if it were up to him personally, he would let the Taxis through. But unfortunately, he was carrying out orders.
It was also pointed out, that the white tape used to partition the carriageway was not put there by the police and we were told by a traffic sergeant that it could be removed to facilitate U-turns.
Conspicuous by their absence, were the usual posse of bus inspectors and as far as we know, no one was seen taking ID or plate numbers covertly.
TfL will no doubt employ the services of their propaganda department and state that a few hundred cabs turned up. But we know different. Using Google live, you could see that large parts of the surrounding area were bought to complete standstill with traffic in some streets not moving an inch for over an hour.
Well done everyone who turned up. Let’s keep this momentum going forward to 8th July at City Hall where Leon Daniels & Garrett Emmerson will be answering questions from the GLA Transport Committee and #Enough4 Windsor house 14th July including the march to Parliament to lobby MPs.
Uber recorded $470 million in operating losses on $415 million in revenue
Leaked figures from a bond prospectus obtained by Bloomberg News
Uber reportedly using the documents to raise $1.2 billion
Company spokesperson said the figures were ‘old’
Papers also say Uber is moving at a 300 percent year-over-year growth
The app is currently operating in over 300 cities worldwide
It’s the revolutionary low-cost taxi app that has changed the way people travel the world over – and it is apparently operating at an exorbitant loss, according to some leaked figures.
Uber, the California-based ride-hailing giant worth an estimated $50 billion, is reportedly losing $470 million in international operating costs.
That figure sits with the $417 million Uber is said to be banking in revenue, leaving a negative sum of $33 million.
The numbers were made public Tuesday by BloombergNews, which obtained documents they say were recently given to prospective Uber investors.
Major losses: Leaked documents obtained by Bloomberg on Tuesday show that Uber is losing $470 million in international operating costs on a revenue of $417 million. See here is founder and CEO Travis Kalanick
The documents are being used to help raise $1.2 billion so that Uber can continue its mass expansion.
It is already operating in over 300 cities.
The same leaked papers also say that Uber is moving at a 300 percent year-over-year growth after launching in 2010.
But, crucially, the numbers – particularly the losses and revenue – are not dated.
‘These are substantially old numbers that do not reflect business activities today,’ Nairi Hourdajian, an Uber spokeswoman, told Bloomberg.
According to Fortune, the ‘old’ Uber is referring to likely means 2014.
Hourdajian also confirmed the documents were not distributed by Uber.
Previously leaked documents, Fortune reported, suggested that Uber had a 2013 net revenue of $213 million.
That year they were said to have had $1 billion in gross bookings.
The leaked documents are reportedly being used to help raise $1.2 billion so that Uber can continue its mass expansion. It is now operating in over 300 cities worldwide
If both the 2013 leaked financials and the ones released today are bona fide, then – despite the major losses – Uber’s gross revenue has grown 95 percent year-over-year.
The Memo reported that Uber remains the highest valued private technology business in the world.
The leaked figures come as two Uber executives in Paris were ordered to stand trial as part of a French crackdown on what the government calls an illegal taxi service.
Thibaud Simphal, manager of Uber France, and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, general manager for western Europe, were detained by police on Monday in an investigation that earlier led to Uber’s offices being raided by police in March.
The investigation focuses on one of the company’s local transport options known as UberPOP, which allows passengers to book rides with private drivers via mobile phones, a service which licenced taxi operators say is unfair competition.
Protest: Last week, a violence-marred taxi strike blocked roads around the country as drivers protested against ride-hailing company Uber. Here riot police stand by an overthrown car
A striking taxi driver holding a placard which read, ‘Stop Uber, Stop listening,’ referring to the new US spying report in France, during a taxi drivers demonstration in Paris, France on June 25
Stranded: People whose cars were blocked in traffic because of a demonstration by the taxi drivers against Uber’s UberPop service, walk along a freeway with their bags towards Charles-de-Gaulle Airport in Paris
Meanwhile, in London, Uber is facing protests by taxi groups on similar grounds.
Mayor Boris Johnson has called for a cap on the number of minicabs operating in the capital and stricter language and geography tests before Uber drivers are allowed to work in the city.
In March it was revealed that Uber cars now outnumber yellow cabs in New York City.
Figures released by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission showed 14,088 registered Uber cars compared with 13,587 yellow cabs – a difference of 500.
But it hardly means yellow cabs are out of favor. In fact, there are about 440,000 yellow cab rides a day, compared to just 20,000 to 30,000 Uber rides.
That’s because Uber drivers often own their own cars and work less than 40 hours a week, while most yellow taxis are owned by cab companies, have more than one driver and are on the road close to 24 hours a day.
‘Yellow cab rides significantly outstrip the number of black car rides,’ said Meera Joshi, chairwoman of the taxi commission. ‘So the number of their affiliated vehicles in and of itself doesn’t paint a complete picture.’
Hi all, just a quick reminder that the Palestra Demo is tomorrow at 2pm.
Come and show your displeasure at the way LTPH have virtually destroyed this trade.
Be there and tell everyone you know too.
For the first time ever this demo will be supported by All the taxi trade orgs.
It’s gonna be big. It must be big. It needs to be big!
It needs every single one of us to attend and get this destruction of our trade STOPPED!
Also please be aware that most of the TfL/LTPH senior managers have moved to 230 Blackfriars Rd, which is a few hundred yards up on the same side. Don’t forget to let them know you’re there!
The posters and banners are made, the drums & horns are ready…Lets give it to them!
PARIS (AP) — French authorities took two Uber managers into custody for questioning on Monday over “illicit activity” involving its low-cost service.
The detentions came amid rising tensions between the government and the ride-hailing company, which culminated last week in a violence-marred taxi strike that blocked roads around the country.
French authorities are frustrated that Uber doesn’t pay the same taxes and social charges as traditional taxis, whose drivers have lashed out against what they see as unfair competition. Uber, meanwhile, argues that the French system is outdated and needs reform to keep up with apps and geo-localization.
Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday but officials last week vowed to keep operating the lowest-cost UberPop service until France’s top court rules on it. A spot check of the app on Monday showed drivers available in central Paris.
Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, the Paris prosecutor’s spokeswoman, did not name the two Uber managers detained on Monday.
The standoff reflects larger tensions in France over how to regulate fast-moving technology and stay globally competitive while ensuring labor protections.
Uber has also run into legal problems elsewhere in Europe, as well as in China and India.
A striking taxi drives past burning tyres during a national protest against car-sharing service Uber in Nice, France, June 25, 2015. — Reuters pic Hungary became the latest country today to crack down on ride-booking app Uber, with the government confirming that only licensed taxi drivers would be able to use the service from 2018.
Hungary became the latest country today to crack down on ride-booking app Uber, with the government confirming that only licensed taxi drivers would be able to use the service from 2018.
The announcement comes a day after taxi drivers staged violent protests against Uber in France, where the service has been illegal since January, but continues to operate as the law has proved difficult to enforce.
Cabbies across Europe are furious at what they see as unfair competition from Uber, which puts customers in touch with private drivers at prices lower than those of traditional taxis.
In Budapest, several hundred drivers took to the streets last week demanding that the government regulate Uber the same way as their own services.
In response, Hungary’s government has now approved a new decree laying out technical requirements for cars and licensing rules for drivers providing “personal transport services”.
Importantly, the rules will also apply to rides ordered through mobile phones and require drivers who use Uber to be licenced taxi drivers.
The decree did not mean Uber would be banned, but rather aimed to regulate who could provide taxi services, said Janos Fonagy, the state secretary in charge of the case.
“The government does not want to stand in the way of innovative solutions,” he told a press conference.
If licenced taxi drivers want to use Uber’s application to get fares, they may, Fonagy said.
The new rules, due to come into effect in 2018, will also oblige taxi drivers to take a refresher course and pass an exam on road rules every five years.
Since Uber entered the Hungarian market in 2014, taxi orders have been dropping sharply in the country.
The US company has become one of the world’s most valuable startups, worth an estimated US$50 billion (RM189 billion), as it has expanded to more than 50 countries.
But it has faced regulatory hurdles and protests from established taxi operators in most locations where it has launched. — AFP
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