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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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UberX slashes fares to compete with taxi e-hail and ride-sharing services
TransportOn-demand transportation startup Uber is making a serious commitment to its UBERx service, making on-demand rides with hybrid cars and community drivers less expensive. Today on the Uber Blog, the company confirmed what we reported last week — that it will be cutting fares on UBERx rides in an effort to be more competitive with [...]
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Taxi e-hail apps officially legal in NYC, pilot program proceeds
DestinationsTaxi e-hail apps are officially legal in New York City. The temporary restraining order (TRO), which blocked the city’s controversial pilot program the day after its launch, was lifted this morning by the New York State Supreme Court this morning. The one-year pilot program is expected to move forward. Hailo and Uber were the only e-hail [...]
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Black cars now allowed to pick up street hails in NYC outer boroughs, court rules
TransportNew York State’s highest court on Thursday reinstated the city’s plan to expand street-hail taxi service beyond Manhattan, overturning a lower-court ruling that had stalled the action last year. The decision cleared the way for the city to issue up to 18,000 “hail licenses” for livery cabs in northern Manhattan and the other boroughs — [...]
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Beijing to raise taxi fares 30 percent, amidst severe shortage during peak
DestinationsBeijing will raise taxi fares for the first time since 2006 to boost driver incomes after customer complaints that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to hail a cab in China’s capital city. Starting from June 10, the base fare will be increased 30 percent to 13 yuan ($2.12) for the first 3 kilometers (1.86 miles), the [...]
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Uber and Bloomberg could one day join forces to “destroy” NYC’s taxi industry
TransportNew York City mayor Michael Bloomberg told the head of a taxicab fleet that he plans to “fucking destroy” the city’s taxi industry when he leaves office on January 1. Bloomberg’s frustration with New York’s yellow cabs and their drivers stems from their unwillingness to adopt new technology such as accepting electronic passenger hails from smartphones, [...]
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Do Hailo and Uber taxi e-hail apps defy a NYC judge’s orders? Nobody knows
TransportNew York City’s much-anticipated e-hail app program was cut short by a temporary restraining order (TRO) just days after launch, but that hasn’t halted the operations of the two startups that were already approved for participation. Hailo and Uber‘s cab drivers continue to pick up passengers via the companies’ mobile e-hail apps every day. Why do they [...]
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Boston airport employees indicted for accepting bribes from line-cutting cabbies
TransportA grand jury has indicted five employees of the Massachusetts Port Authority for allegedly taking bribes from cab drivers and letting them cut ahead of other taxis to pick up passengers at Logan International Airport. The five men face charges including soliciting or accepting a bribe as a public employee and soliciting or accepting an [...]
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Five travel startups hack HotelTonight and taxi apps in the U.S. and abroad
TransportIf there were ever a question whether travelers from different cultures have similar concerns, one would only have to look at the global startup scene. Developers in Hanoi are working on the same problem as entrepreneurs in Chicago, and travelers in both destinations are downloading apps and testing new sites to find cheap deals on [...]
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Five best travel ads this week: Awesome, awkward, and award-winning
TransportThis week’s SkiftAds focus on the importance of the digital experience in travel today. Travel brands like AirBaltic and Hyatt are giving customers an incentive through rewards and great design to engage with them online and on mobile devices. And even though so much of the travel process now takes place online, it’s what happens [...]
