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Uber waives fees to get London taxi drivers using its app
Many London cabbies think of Uber as a threat to their livelihood and professional reputation, nimbly side-stepping legislation and driver qualifications like the "Knowledge." Uber wants the pair to coexist, going so far as to launch an UberTAXI option in its app to help cabbies find new passengers. Today, it's going a step further by waiving the fee it would normally take for each Uber-sourced passenger. Well, at least for the first 12 months anyway. The company normally takes a 5 percent cut, which is already half of what its cab-friendly rival Hailo demands in the city. "For Londoners it means they can order a traditional black cab at the push of a button and pay electronically through their phone, rather than worrying about cash," Jo Bertram, Uber's regional general manager for the UK said. "For taxi drivers it's a chance to get a fare when there are no passengers on the street or they're waiting in a long queue at a rank." Some taxi drivers aren't impressed, however. Steve McNamara, general secretary for the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) said: "With over 15,000 cabbies registered with specific taxi-hailing apps like Gett and Hailo, we would be amazed if any drivers decide to take up Uber's offer. Licensed taxis in London offer the best service in the world and as a membership group the LTDA doesn't like the way Uber treats its drivers and customers or its dodgy tax arrangements." Of course, there could be taxi drivers that think differently. If they're keeping every penny from a passenger's fare -- for the next 12 months, anyway -- Uber's app could be a useful backup for when business is a little slow. Instead, the decision to use the app will probably be a matter of principle. Uber represents the competition and supporting the company in any way will ultimately support their strategy. If drivers embrace UberTAXI, it'll encourage people to use the app to call their next ride, rather than dialling a phone number or hailing a cab on the street. That could force drivers into using the app -- if that's where the passengers are, that's where you've got to be -- and paying Uber's regular fees in the future. Furthermore, if the Uber app is their go-to, Londoners will be more likely to consider the service's other transport options -- especially those that are cheaper. So while this deal might benefit cabbies in the short-term, its long-term ramifications are still unclear. In short, taxi drivers will have to think carefully about whether Uber is their friend or enemy here.
Microsoft aims to improve maps with GPS data from 33,000 Beijing cab drivers
Microsoft's already added a Taxi Fare Calculator to Bing Maps to help keep your cabbie in check, and it's now actually enlisted the help of some 33,000 Beijing cab drivers in an effort to further improve driving directions. More specifically, it's relying on GPS data collected from the cab drivers' cars over a period of three months, which has since been funneled into a system called T-Drive created by a team at Microsoft Research Asia. Just how big a difference can a bit of local know-how make? Apparently, about a 16 percent cut in time on average, or roughly a savings of five minutes for every 30 minutes of driving. Of course, it won't do anyone outside of Beijing much good at the moment, but there's plenty more GPS-equipped cabs out there if Microsoft ever decides to expand things.
South Korean taxi drivers win right to watch TV in cabs, for now
You know, we've made plenty of jokes about the DMB mobile TV functionality found in seemingly every GPS unit released in South Korea, but it looks like taxi drivers in the country take their distractions seriously -- serious enough to go to court. That issue apparently came to a head recently when one cab driver challenged a $500 fine he received for watching TV while on the job, which had apparently become a relatively common means to beat boredom during traffic jams but was banned last year by a local regulation in the city of Seoul. While the court obviously didn't go so far as to condone the practice (watching TV while driving was apparently a factor in upwards of 200 accidents in the country last year), it did rule that the regulation in Seoul was illegal because it was based on a 1961 law that's been superseded. Cabbies shouldn't get too comfortable with their in-car rigs just yet, however, as we have a sneaking suspicion this won't be the final word on the matter. [Thanks, Badison]
NYC cabbies could have cellphone use blocked while driving... but probably not
The Taxi and Limousine Commission of New York City (also known as the TLC) is considering some changes to the way that taxis and their drivers will operate in the future as part of its "Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program." Among the wild ideas being floated is one that would "block" anyone in the front seat from using a cellphone -- most notably, of course -- the driver. Driving while using a handset is already illegal in New York, but this measure would apparently kill the ability to use a hands-free device as well. The TLC is trying to have an open discussion with New Yorkers on its website about other possible ways to make taxi rides more... enjoyable "in the future." We're betting this one will never happen but hey -- you never know. Our suggestion? Stop acting like we asked you to cart us to the gates of hell when we tell you we need to go to Brooklyn. [Via WCBS]
