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 [...]
Automotive and tech firms are poaching each other’s talent to pull ahead in the driverless car race October 3, 2016 Automotive and IT firms are poaching each other’s talent in a bid to nudge ahead in the driverless car race, according to research by CPA Global. Its analysis found that more than 20 patent inventors have made the switch from automotive to IT companies or vice versa since 2008, with Google’s self-driving car programme serving [...]
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 [...]
Who is Amy Lamé? All you need to know about Sadiq Khan’s first night czar November 4, 2016 The job advert caused a stir when it went up. An exciting proposition: Could you be the one to turn London into a true 24-hour city? Well, Sadiq Khan thinks Amy Lamé is the woman to do it. She'll work 2.5 days a week for £35,000. Not bad. The advert for the position said Khan was after [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Addison Lee profits under pressure from rise of mobile app challengers July 31, 2016 Addison Lee’s profits are being driven down by rising competition from mobile-based apps. The UK private car hire company owned by private equity giant Carlyle has reported post-tax earnings for the year to August dipped to £11.6m, down almost two-thirds from £32.9m in the previous year. New players in the market, led by US upstart [...]
Uber and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association to square off before MPs November 23, 2015 Top bosses from Uber and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association are set to be questioned by MPs tomorrow morning. Both Uber's head of public policy in the UK Andrew Byrne and Licensed Taxi Drivers Association chairman Richard Massett will give evidence to the influential business, innovation and skills (BIS) committee as part of its inquiry into the digital economy. [...]
Watch: Tesla’s self-driving cars revealed in video shared by Elon Musk October 20, 2016 All Tesla cars will have the capacity to drive themselves, company boss Elon Musk has revealed in a highly anticipated announcement which the entrepreneur had teased in tweets. All models, including the Model 3 and and Model X, will now be fitted with hardware that will make it possible to drive without human control. However, that [...]
Black Cab protest is already snarling up roads in central London including Whitehall as drivers demonstrate over TfL and private hire vehicles including Uber February 10, 2016 If you're planning on travelling through central London this afternoon, you might want to avoid roads – Black Cab drivers went out on protest earlier today and it's taking a while to clear. The protest was due to start at 2:30pm, but pictures and videos on social media showed that many cabbies had convened on [...]