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U.S. regulator says D.C. taxi rules may be too restrictive, sides with Uber
TransportFederal regulators are warning the DC’s taxicab commission that proposed rules on services like Uber that use smartphone app to pay and hail taxis could be overly restrictive….FTC submitted written comments to the D.C. Taxicab Commission on Wednesday, warning that some of its rules could stifle competition and hurt consumers. “These software applications are an [...]
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Car-sharing in South Florida spreads beyond big cities
DigitalSouth Florida’s sprawling development and limited public transportation make owning a car pretty much a necessity. But a growing number of services are popping up in South Florida giving people quick, cheap access to cars whether they’re lacking one of their own or need an extra set of wheels for a quick trip to Home [...]
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Airport car rental startup FlightCar picks up $5.5 million
TransportSeeking to disrupt the $10 billion airport car rental business, FlightCar, a sort of Airbnb for airport rentals, allows travelers leaving town to make their cars available for those who are visiting. …it has raised a $5.5 million Series A round, with a number of high-profile investors, including General Catalyst, Softbank Capital, Airbnb founder and CEO Brian [...]
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Uber’s delicate dance with legality is now an art form
TransportIt seems there are some laws that even Uber, handmaiden to Silicon Valley’s “cult of disruption,” isn’t willing to break — at least until others have broken them first, anyway. The car service for the bourgeoisie today announced that it would roll out its more-affordable UberX service, which relies on untrained drivers instead of the [...]
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Hertz’s plans to beat Enterprise in the off-airport car rental market
TransportEnterprise controls about 80% of the off-airport car-rental market in the U.S., but Hertz has big plans to strengthen its position using newly acquired Dollar Thrifty. Off-airport is an $11 billion market in the U.S. — about as large as airport rentals — but Hertz currently only has about 12% market share, says CFO Elyse [...]
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Ford to launch first car-sharing program from a manufacturer
TransportFord announced the launch of Ford2Go, the first manufacturer-backed, car-sharing program to incorporate dealerships. At this point, Ford2Go will be limited to Germany. The new program utilizes participating Ford dealers across the European country to offer cars and services to customers, and includes a Web-based booking system, and iOS and Android apps. The new Ford2Go service will [...]
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Zipcar a breath of fresh air for smaller and smaller U.S. cities
TransportWhen his car died more than a year ago, local architect Glenn Richters decided that he didn’t want to buy another one. Getting around without his own vehicle has sometimes been a challenge, though. Showing up for a business meeting in his daughter’s Toyota Camry — with 200,000 miles on the odometer — isn’t ideal, [...]
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Ride-sharing startup Lyft expands to LA after making deal with California regulators
TransportThere’s a ton of good news today for ride-sharing service Lyft. The company has struck a deal with the California Public Utilities Commission that will remove fines and allow it to continue operating in the state. It also announced plans this morning to expand its service to Los Angeles. The move into L.A. marks the first [...]
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Airbnb, the coolest lingo for startup descriptions on AngelList
DigitalThat Airbnb is the poster-child of the sharing economy — or collaborative consumption if you want to be hipper — is now a given, so much so that a fuddy-duddy business magazine like Forbes put the company and its CEO Brian Chesky on its latest cover. But before a company becomes the zeitgeist in the larger pop culture, [...]
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Analysis: Zipcar to expand to airports and embrace business travel under Avis Budget ownership
TransportAvis Budget Group plans to expand Zipcar availability at airports during peak-demand periods, and will also offer one-way Zipcar service to and from airports. It’s a graduation of sorts for Zipcar, which offers car-sharing services on more than 300 college campuses, and 20 metropolitan areas in North America and Europe. Following news of Avis Budget’s $500 [...]
