By Matt Kelly It seems that everywhere Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies (TNCs) set up shop, trouble with local regulators follows. The situation in Florida has been no different. The Uber vs. taxi debate has been so heated that state lawmakers have proposed  legislation (HB 509) to simply regulate all vehicles for … Continue reading Regulation of Uber, Lyft Should Be Local, Not Statewide
Florida Legislators Seek To Clarify Ridesharing Regulations
By Matt Kelly The ridesharing technology company Uber has created quite a controversy overthe past year for its unprecedented disruption of the traditional taxi industry. Users praise the California-based company for shorter wait times and cheap fares, along with features like its driver rating system. Given the mobile app’s popularity with customers, many are now … Continue reading Florida Legislators Seek To Clarify Ridesharing Regulations
Taxi Regulation Reduces Driver Opportunity
Original post date: September 30, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas For decades, state and local governments have imposed dramatic entry controls on the taxi industry across the United States. These regulatory hurdles benefit established companies at the expense of drivers. Many cities issue "medallions," a permit that grants its owner the legal right the right … Continue reading Taxi Regulation Reduces Driver Opportunity
Do UberX Driveres Really Earn Three Times More than Taxi Drivers?
Original post date: September 16, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas In May, Uber revealed annual median incomes for UberX drivers in New York and San Francisco of $90,766 and $74,191, respectively. In contrast, 2013 median annual taxi driver incomes in New York and San Francisco are $29,910 and $28,060 according to the Bureau of Labor … Continue reading Do UberX Driveres Really Earn Three Times More than Taxi Drivers?
Uber Wars Transcend Party Lines
Original post date: September 08, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas 6/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. High-ranking Republican officials have recently come out in support of Uber, the innovative but legally-troubled ridesharing app that connects drivers and passengers. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus penned an op-ed in the … Continue reading Uber Wars Transcend Party Lines
The Uber Wars
Original post date: December 10, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas 6/6/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. In my previous blogs, I discussed some of the legal and regulatory hurdles encountered by Uber, a Transportation Network Company (TNC) that provides on-demand taxi and limousine services using a smartphone app to … Continue reading The Uber Wars
Customers Rise Up to Support Taxi Innovator
Original post date: November 19, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas 6/6/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. Finding a more textbook example of regulatory capture than the taxicab industry is difficult, as the case of the innovative on-demand taxi service Uber clearly demonstrates. Despite the highly regulated nature of the … Continue reading Customers Rise Up to Support Taxi Innovator
Entrenched Interests Fight Innovation in Taxi Industry
Original post date: November 19, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas 5/24/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. A revolutionary new smartphone app is changing the nature of the taxicab business, but stiff opposition from entrenched taxi companies risks keeping their innovations from benefiting customers. Uber is a venture-capital funded startup … Continue reading Entrenched Interests Fight Innovation in Taxi Industry