Skip to content

Uber is cool. For those who aren't aware: Uber is a service that allows individuals to offer other individuals a ride in exchange for a fee. Drivers and riders connect through a phone app, which also conveys what the fee will be. The fee goes up during bad weather and other inopportune times for drivers to be out. Riders rate their experience. Everyone is happy. * * * * * * * Except the state-sanctioned monopolies: taxi cab companies. They're furious, and they want the state to stomp out Uber because it's offering unauthorized taxi services. Nevermind the obvious question: why does taxi-cab service need to be authorized by the government? Probably for safety reasons, the statists would argue (and surely someone in the background is shouting "It's for the children!"). Regardless, Uber drivers have so far proven as safe or safer than taxi-cab drivers (who aren't driving their own cars), but the cab companies are unhappy because they're losing business and--same old story with state-sanctioned businesses--they want the government to stomp out competition. * * * * * * * In Belgium, taxi drivers recently intentionally snarled traffic in protest. The deputy prime minister responded, “Improve customer experience. Invest in technology. Innovate the business. All things the taxi sector could do instead of strike." Amen to that.

Comments

Latest