Taxis Archives - TravelSkills

Uber faces shut-down in 2 European countries

April 12, 2017

Don’t look for an Uber ride in Copenhagen starting next week. (Image: Jim Glab)

New regulatory and legal developments in Denmark and Italy are posing fresh challenges for ride-sharing giant Uber across the Atlantic even as it waits for a potentially game-changing decision from the European Court of Justice.

In Denmark, Uber is expected to halt operations on April 18 due to the imposition of new taxi rules that require vehicles for hire to be equipped with devices like fare meters and seat-occupancy sensors. Most Danish taxis already have the required equipment, but Uber vehicles – which are private cars owned by their drivers – do not.

Thus, Uber officials said they had no choice but to shut down in Denmark, where the company says some 300,000 people have downloaded its app, and where it claims 2,000 drivers in its operation.

In Italy, a court in Rome last week gave Uber 10 days to stop operating in the country (until April 17), threatening it with fines of more than $10,000 a day if it does not. Uber is expected to file an appeal.

The ruling came in a case filed by drivers at traditional taxi unions, who charged that Uber’s activities constituted unfair competition under Italian law. The court said Uber must stop use of its smartphone apps and discontinue all promotion and advertising.

Uber is facing shut-downs in Denmark and Italy. (Image: Uber)

Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice is expected to rule any time now on what kinds of laws and regulations apply to Uber across the E.U.’s member countries. That decision is expected in a case filed in 2015 by the taxi drivers’ association of Barcelona. (Uber is not available in Barcelona, but it is in Madrid. You won’t find Uber in Frankfurt, either)

The issue facing the court is whether Uber is a transportation service, as the taxi drivers contend, which means the company would have to meet existing labor and safety regulations across the continent; or whether it is, as Uber contends, an “information society service,” which would allow it to operate and expand in Europe following its current business model.

Uber’s competitor Lyft does not yet have its own operations overseas, although it has been working to forge partnerships with some existing app-based ride services in specific markets.

There are some alternatives for travelers. A German-based company called Blacklane (www.blacklane.com) is one. “Travelers schedule rides one hour to months in advance. All drivers speak English and have commercial licenses and insurance. Rates are all-inclusive and guaranteed when you book,” a spokesman tells TravelSkills. “For airport pickups, drivers wait up to an hour for free. We are in five Italian cities (Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Venice) plus Copenhagen and 250 other cities worldwide.”

There are also taxi apps like Taxi.eu in Denmark and myTaxi in Italy.

TIP: If you are headed to Europe this summer and plan to use Uber there, be sure to check here before you go.

Readers: In which cities do you miss having Uber or Lyft the most? Please leave the cities below.

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Uber, Lyft crushing taxis, rental cars for business travel

January 27, 2017

Taking Uber from Manhattan to Newark Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new report on business travel expenses says Uber rides now account for more than half of all ground transportation spending, citing this as an example of a “transformational change” taking place among road warriors.

Certify, a leading provider of travel and entertainment expense management and reporting, has issued its annual report for business travel spending trends in 2016, and it found that a new company has vaulted into the top spot as the “most expensed vendor”—not an airline or a hotel chain, but ride-sharing giant Uber.

The company said the “exploding popularity” of Uber among business travelers enabled the ride-sharing network to capture 6 percent of all receipts and expenses tracked by Certify last year.

According to Certify, the Uber juggernaut among business travelers was “the biggest story of 2016.” It said that among various ground transportation alternatives – taxis, rental cars, Uber and Lyft – Uber accounted for 52 percent of all expensed spending in the fourth quarter of last year, while Lyft grabbed 4 percent.

Image: Certify

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2016 with the same period a year earlier, Certify said Uber’s share of the ground transportation segment jumped from 40 percent to 52 percent and Lyft’s from 2 percent to 4 percent, while the share for taxis plunged from 20 percent to 11 percent, and the share for rental cars dropped from 38 percent to 33 percent.

Looking to the lodging segment, Certify saw a similar but smaller trend for Airbnb, which it describes as an “alternative hotelier.” While Airbnb hasn’t yet broken into the top 15 most-expensed lodging brands, it is moving up fast, doubling its share of business traveler transactions each year since 2014.

“Assuming a similar or slightly improved growth rate, Certify expects Airbnb could approach the top 15 most expensed hotels sometime late next year,” the company said. “Looking at average room nights, business travelers also stayed longer with Airbnb compared to traditional hotels; 4.51 to 2.58 nights, respectively.”

Image: Certify

Certify CEO Robert Neveu said business travelers’ increasing preference for “sharing economy” providers like Uber and Airbnb “underscores the trend toward consumerization of traditional corporate travel. Advances in personal technologies and travel-based smartphone apps have made it easier for business travelers to choose the experiences and vendors they prefer. And the companies they work for are following suit with expanded travel policy guidelines to accommodate new services and payment methods. More than a footnote in history, it’s the kind of transformational change that will continue to shape the industry for years to come.”

Chart: Certify

The company’s analysis of spending covers more than 10 million receipts and expenses logged per quarter by travelers at Certify’s client companies, including business meals, air fare, hotels, gas, ground transportation and several other categories.

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Can tech rescue taxis from ride-sharing?

November 2, 2015

New apps will help taxi drivers compete against ride-sharing. (Image: Jim Glab)

As ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft continue their relentless growth and gain access to passenger pick-ups at more airports, some new technologies are in the works that could help licensed taxis compete more effectively.

Flywheel, which provides an app that consumers can use to request taxi pick-ups in six western cities, is starting to test a new smartphone-based taxi meter that will let taxi drivers consolidate much of the equipment and systems they now use.

The GPS-based TaxiOS for Android phones will replace dispatch systems, navigation, payment systems and meters in a single app. Customers would be able to make cashless payments and track their rides with the app, just as they do with Uber and Lyft. It will also work with telephone dispatch systems, and passengers could still raise their hand to hail a cab in the street.

TaxiOS is being tested in some taxis in San Francisco and will be expanded after regulatory clearance.

Meanwhile, a 2016 launch in New York, London and Singapore is planned for the new Karhoo app, which has raised $250 million thus far in venture capital funding. New York-based Karhoo will work with existing taxi and black car fleets, letting the customer see and compare his ride options at a glance, and summon a nearby driver for a pickup.

Company officials say that when Karhoo launches in New York City, it will be working with fleets that include 28,000 yellow cabs and black cars currently operating there, thus avoiding the kinds of regulatory hoops that Uber and Lyft are having to jump through to enter a market.

And there’s Arro, an app available for Android and Apple phones that’s currently in use in New York and coming soon to Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Like Flywheel, Arro can be used to hail licensed taxis and to pay for the ride — even if the customer didn’t use the app to request the vehicle. It also promises regular taxi fares with no Uber-like surge pricing.

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Uber gaining fast on taxis

October 17, 2015

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

Are licensed taxi drivers justified in their fears that ride-sharing apps like Uber are going to take away a significant portion of their business? In New York City — the nation’s largest market for hired rides — the answer appears to be yes.

The statistical website Fivethirtyeight.com got data from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission for the second quarter of 2015 and compared it with numbers from the same quarter a year earlier to see how the market was changing.

It found that in the borough of Manhattan’s “core” area — i.e., the southern half of the island, where the vast bulk of the business is — the number of passengers picked up by Uber drivers during the quarter increased by 3.82 million year-over-year. And the number of taxi pick-ups? It declined by almost the same amount — 3.83 million.

“Throughout Manhattan, riders have shifted from taxis to Ubers millions of times, perhaps attracted to features Uber promotes as advantages: newer cars, no need to hail, driver ratings and no tipping,” Fivethirtyeight.com said.

Taxis are still carrying more than four times as many riders as Uber drivers in New York City overall, but the trend lines are clearly going up for Uber and down for taxis.

Meanwhile, although business is good for Uber, some of its drivers are less than thrilled with the current business model. An Uber drivers’ group called Uber Freedom has called for a three-day strike in major U.S. cities over this weekend, urging drivers to shut down their apps and stay off the job.

The group wants Uber to add a tipping option to the app, to increase rates for UberX rides by 60 percent, and increase the minimum fare and the cancellation fee to $7.

Get $20 off your first Uber ride!

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Uber outrage in Chicago

September 24, 2015

Chicago could soon allow ride-sharing pick-ups at airports. (Image: Jim Glab)

Just a few months ago, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was adamant about not allowing ride-sharing apps using “citizen drivers” like UberX and Lyft to be used for passenger pick-ups at O’Hare and Midway airports as well as the city’s huge McCormick Place convention center. (UberBLACK pickups/drops are currently allowed at Chicago airports.) But now he has changed his mind.

The new 2016 budget proposal issued by Emanuel this week would reverse the city’s existing policy, allowing ride-sharing pick-ups at those restricted venues. What changed his mind? Chicago is facing a budget gap of hundreds of millions of dollars, and this is one way to erase some of the red ink.

The plan still must be approved by the Chicago City Council, so there is no immediate estimate of when the newly proposed policy might take effect.

But the news did elicit outrage from the city’s licensed cab drivers, who staged massive protests by refusing to pick up waiting passengers at the O’Hare and Midway airport terminals for a period of two hours on Wednesday.

The cabbies’ outrage was not soothed by the fact that the budget plan would allow for a 15 percent increase in taxi fares. Drivers said that wouldn’t be enough to make up for the business they would lose to the unlicensed Uber and Lyft drivers.

According to the new budget proposal, ride-sharing drivers would have to pay the city a fee of $5 each time they pick up or drop off a passenger at the airports or the convention center — more than double the fee charged to taxi drivers. In addition, there would also be a new 50 cent surcharge on all taxi and ride-sharing trips.

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Uber update: Hilton app, Vegas, LAX, Sacramento, NYC, London

September 1, 2015

UberX drivers can now pick up passengers at Oakland Airport (above) and Sacramento Airport. (Image: Oakland International Airport)

The Uber ride-finding juggernaut just keeps rolling along. In the latest developments, Uber is becoming a part of Hilton Hotels’ app, and a pair of California airports now allow ride-sharing passenger pick-ups (with Las Vegas not far behind). But licensed cabbies in New York and London are getting some apps of their own to compete against Uber and Lyft.

Hilton said it is upgrading its HHonors mobile app with a new Uber partnership. The new “Uber Ride Reminder” feature will summon a car for a trip to or from the hotel when the user is ready. “The ‘Ride Reminder’ will send a push notification or text, and the hotel’s address is automatically set in the Uber app, so guests can simply be on their way,” Hilton said. Another new app feature called “Local Scene,” available for 20 major U.S. cities, will give users a list of the most-visited venues requested by Uber riders.

Want to get $20 off your first Uber ride? Here’s how!

Meanwhile, Uber is adding more airports in the western U.S. In California, Oakland International Airport now allows UberX drivers to pick up and drop off passengers as part of a new pilot program. And Sacramento International Airport signed an agreement that took effect this week allowing Uber drivers to pick up passengers there; it is in the process of negotiating a similar pact with Lyft. The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a plan to allow UberX and Lyft pick-ups at Los Angeles International, but there’s no firm start date yet– but we are monitoring this…

In Nevada, the ride-sharing companies are now expected to start operating at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport in late October. The Nevada Transportation Authority is likely to approve new rules for the companies next week, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, and an ordinance allowing the service is expected to be voted on by the Clark County Commission on October 20.

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Traditional licensed taxi drivers in major cities have been the most vocal opponents of expanded operating rights for the ride-sharing companies, and now they could benefit from new technology that will put them on more even competitive footing.

In New York City, a public roll-out is expected in a couple of weeks for a new smartphone app called Arro. It will work through the existing payment systems and video screens in most of the city’s 13,000 yellow cabs, allowing them to accept pick-up requests placed by consumers who have the app on their phones. Like the Uber and Lyft apps, Arro will use the customer’s credit card info to pay the fare plus tip.

FlyWheel, a similar app for getting cab rides and tracking arrivals via GPS (and does NOT impose irritating surge pricing), is already operating in these west coast cities: San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego.

And in London, drivers of the city’s traditional black cabs are counting on an app called Gett to help them ward off the Uber competition. The app will not only allow users to hail a licensed taxi, but will also offer them fare discounts of up to 30 percent for longer journeys during off-peak hours.

Want to get $20 off your first Uber ride? Here’s how!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers

Uber NYC + Feds watching you + New LAX lounge + Best airport + Airport parking

March 21, 2015

(Photo: Jason Tester Guerilla / Flickr)

NYC taxis losing the Uber battle. The New York Post reports that ride-finding service Uber has reached a critical milestone in New York City, no doubt the biggest market in the nation for hired cars: There are now more Uber vehicles than licensed taxicabs in the Big Apple. The paper said that Uber now has 14,088 “black and luxury cars” available for hire in New York, vs. 13,587 medallion taxis — although total trips by taxi still vastly outnumber Uber rides. Uber drivers reportedly like the more flexible hours and the higher earnings compared with traditional yellow cabs. Meanwhile, Uber continues to face plenty of legal troubles around the world, most recently in France, Germany and South Korea — including a new ban of its lower-priced car service in Germany. Weekend Edition Have your Uber habits shifted over the course of the last six months? Please leave your comments below. And if you can’t comment because you’ve yet to give Uber a try, sign up here and get $20 off your first ride.

Feds eye facial recognition. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has quietly started testing new facial recognition technology on U.S. citizens re-entering the country at Washington’s Dulles International Airport. According to the tech news website Motherboard, the program is intended to help Customs officers catch individuals who may be using a passport that isn’t their own — although some observers question what CBP plans to do with the passenger photos it accumulates. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union last week sued the Transportation Security Administration, demanding to see documents related to its “Screening Passengers by Observation” (SPOT) project. That’s the program that trains TSA officers to watch for passengers exhibiting suspicious behaviors or appearing stressed or frightened, and subjecting them to extra inspections. The ACLU alleged that separate studies have found there is no evidence that the program works at all; an ACLU attorney said the program “wastes taxpayer money, leads to racial profiling, and should be scrapped.”

FAA: Keep out of the seat back pocket

Our famous photo of the updated men’s room with a view at Singapore Changi Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Changi tops airport list — again. For the third year in a row, Singapore’s Changi Airport has ranked as the world’s best in the annual passenger survey conducted by Skytrax. And once again, no U.S. airports managed to make it into the Top 10 Best list. London-based Skytrax is unique in its survey sample size: It claims more than 13 million travelers from 112 countries voted in its annual online poll, which covered 550 airports worldwide. Rounding out the Top 10 after Changi are, in order: Korea’s Incheon, Munich, Hong Kong, Tokyo Haneda, Zurich, Central Japan, London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Beijing Capital International. Rated the best North American airport for the fifth consecutive year was Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. Readers, do you agree? In your experience, what is the world’s best airport?

Looking over the duty-free area at LAX from the terrace of the new Emirates lounge (Photo: Emirates)

Emirates lounge at LAX. Emirates officials have cut the ribbon on a new $6.2 million Emirates Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, it’s open to first and business class passengers as well as Platinum and Gold members of the airline’s Skywards loyalty program. Seating 157, it offers a buffet food service, business center, free Wi-Fi, shower facilities, TV and reading areas and a prayer room.

Parking at Atlanta. Atlanta-area travelers worried about finding a parking space at the busy Hartsfield-Jackson Airport have a new option: online parking reservations. The airport said that for a $5 booking fee, customers can now reserve a space in the domestic Park Ride Reserve lot, which costs $12 a day; or in the international hourly parking deck for $16-$24 a day (the fee varies based on demand; the online rate is a significant discount from the regular $32 a day). Reservations must be made at least 24 hours n advance. The airport’s new parking reservations page is here.

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