Consumer group Which? attacks Transport for London’s proposals to clamp down on Uber December 9, 2015 Consumer group Which? has criticised Transport for London’s (TfL) plans for Uber as “stifling” and “dangerous.” TfL has proposed new regulations for Uber, including introducing a minimum wait time of five minutes, even if a car is immediately available. Sharing a ride with other people would be banned, as would displaying nearby drivers’ availability on the [...]
The Uber, London taxi, TfL standoff is far from over as Boris Johnson calls for congestion charge exemption to be lifted January 20, 2016 Thought the fight was over? No sooner has one row over Uber been settled than another arises. The long-running dispute over how the startup is regulated by Transport for London, which has left London's black cab drivers rather sore, was finally ruled upon today. The new regulations were announced and a controversial five-minute wait rule – which even taxi drivers admitted was not viable – has [...]
Uber warns EU regulations are holding back Europe’s tech startups December 7, 2015 Cab hailing app Uber has warned European Union (EU) regulation could mean that technology startups from Europe are unable to compete internationally. Uber’s head of public policy in Europe Mark McGann slammed the EU digital single market and said: “I’m concerned about domestic companies in the UK and across Europe not being able to make [...]
This German unicorn tech startup could IPO as soon as next year August 7, 2016 Food delivery startup Delivery Hero could go public as soon as next year, its chief executive has revealed. The German startup, a so-called unicorn valued at more than $1bn, could IPO next year but is in "no hurry" and can wait for the right conditions. "Whether it will happen next year? It is quite possible," said [...]
Uber wants to bring the party to its customers with UberEvents September 26, 2015 Need some help getting the party started? Ride-sharing app Uber is trialling its new service UberEvents for business customers. The pre-paid service allows event organisers to buy rides for their guests, and the company envisions it being used for things like company parties and weddings, as Kimiko Ninomiya, Uber’s senior marketing manager wrote on the [...]
CES 2016: General Motors is investing $500m in Uber rival Lyft and is making driverless car plans January 4, 2016 The US carmaker General Motors has revealed it is investing $500m (£339m) in Lyft, a cab-hailing app which rivals Uber, with plans to work on the development of driverless cars together. That investment also comes with a seat on the board. “We see the future of personal mobility as connected, seamless and autonomous. With GM and Lyft working [...]
Boris Johnson on Uber: London mayor thinks Uber app is breaking the law October 5, 2015 Boris Johnson has said he believes the Uber app is "systematically" breaking the law, weighing in on the fight between Uber, Transport for London (TfL) and black cab drivers and laying out his position for the first time in detail. The Mayor of London insisted proposed new rules are not about blocking the app, but [...]
Winners of the year 2015: Uber, Lidl and Tony Pidgley and other success stories December 6, 2015 In 2015 the UK's economy continued to steadily grow and employment reached new highs – it was a good year for business. There will be plenty of champagne corks popping and glasses clinking this Christmas period, and no one has more reason to do so this year than these companies and personalities. Read more: The seven [...]
How hotels and travel websites can fight back against Airbnb’s audacious move into Trips November 24, 2016 For sheer chutzpah, it’s difficult to beat Airbnb’s announcement that is expanding its home sharing platform to offer holistic travel experiences. Not content with disrupting the hotel trade, the hosting service wants to put its live like a local stamp on the global tourism sector, in a pitch for the complete customer journey including ultimately [...]
Donald Trump’s business meddling: Crony capitalism to a Tea January 17, 2017 To understand why many large businesses and pro-market US policy wonks are anxious about a Donald Trump presidency, one has to understand the lessons of the Tea Party. No, not the recent grassroots phenomenon caricatured in the UK media. I’m talking about the Boston Tea Party of 1773 – in which American colonists, belonging to [...]