Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
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Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#2The 600 or so Uber Pop drivers that have been found by the taxation agency have had an extra ~2kUSD added to their taxes.
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#3So, they want to encourage ride-sharing in the original meaning - carpooling. Not the "taxi company in disguise" meaning. Sounds fair enough to me.
For context, the taxi regulation in Sweden is very light. There is no medallion system limiting the number of cars, and no regulation of prices. You just need an extended driver's license, an approved taxi-meter (same as how grocery stores need their scales to be approved), and the pricing plan listed clearly in the window.
There has been quite a bit of criticism of this lack of regulation, since some private taxi drivers will prey on tourists by overpricing their services by 3x and waiting at airports. Since their rip-off prices are displayed right there in the window, it's fully legal. Tourists don't know the typical price of a taxi, and fresh off an airplane are not sure what the local currency rate is (Sweden isn't on the Euro), and hence get ripped off.
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#4Stockholm is full of 'fake' taxis that take you longer routes and charge you more money.
I'd much rather use Uber.
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#5Sorry, but either regulate it as the taxi industry or force the taxi industry to be a profitless business as well. If being professional is defined by having a certificate or such then simply have these services require their drivers provide such certification.
Honestly, just how many ways can we find to prevent innovation from disrupting the protected by daunting regulations from occurring? At times I am beginning to wonder if this is less about protecting current businesses as it is government losing control over its people.
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#6Can someone explain what goes through the head of people that propose such things? Do they not understand basic economics?
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#7Sorry, but either regulate it as the taxi industry or force the taxi industry to be a profitless business as well. If being professional is defined by having a certificate or such then simply have these services require their drivers provide such certification. Honestly, just how many ways can we find to prevent innovation from disrupting the protected by daunting regulations from occurring? At times I am beginning t…
Taxi regulation in Sweden is very lax and it's trivial to become a certified taxi business and get a taxi license. Uber could have the paperwork taken care of by early next week if they wanted, they just doesn't want to comply with the few necessary regulations.
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#8Sorry, but either regulate it as the taxi industry or force the taxi industry to be a profitless business as well. If being professional is defined by having a certificate or such then simply have these services require their drivers provide such certification. Honestly, just how many ways can we find to prevent innovation from disrupting the protected by daunting regulations from occurring? At times I am beginning t…
> Sorry, but either regulate it as the taxi industry or force the taxi industry to be a profitless business as well
What is the difference between "ride sharing" and "taxi" anyway? Sounds to me like they're saying that ride sharing is people sharing their car, and taxi is if you're for-profit. If Uber wants to be for profit, they need to follow the taxi regulation.
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#9So, they want to encourage ride-sharing in the original meaning - carpooling. Not the "taxi company in disguise" meaning. Sounds fair enough to me. For context, the taxi regulation in Sweden is very light. There is no medallion system limiting the number of cars, and no regulation of prices. You just need an extended driver's license, an approved taxi-meter (same as how grocery stores need their scales to be approved…
"So, they want to encourage ride-sharing in the original meaning - carpooling. Not the "taxi company in disguise" meaning. Sounds fair enough to me."
I'm not necessarily a fan of Uber, but this is ridiculous.
If 'taxis' are legal in Sweden then there's no reason Uber should not be able to operate so long as they are obeying the laws.
Ostensibly, this is about a specific issue - distance travelled and the lack of ability for tax authorities to measure that.
Two things to know about Nordic countries:
1) They are super, super aggressive when it comes to tax things. Cheating on taxes is worse than some major crimes!
2) They are culturally anti-business and anti-entrepreneurial. I know this may seem odd given the number of startups - but their version of 'socialism' is cultural. To be a 'business person' or 'CEO' or to 'have your own company' even up until the 1980's was considered a 'dirty word'. They have this view that 'private business is immoral' in some ways. It's hard to describe. They are just default skeptical of anyone creating a business. Obviously that has evolved a lot over the last 30 years, but the underlying cultural phenom is still kind of there.
Finally - this may simply be political. Taxi entities around the world are trying to find ways to get Uber banned, and so they find an issue or concern that gives them a legal footing.
Again, I'm not for or against Uber really ...
Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits
#10> Uber is currently seeking to convince Europe's top court that it is a digital service, not a transport company, in a case that could determine whether app-based startups should be exempt from strict laws meant for regular companies.
Uber found a way to abide by New York State's existing regulations for a special license for drivers and commercial insurance. Everywhere else it plays make-believe - 'we're just a technology company' - for as long as it can.
The end-game in Europe is probably that Uber Technology will abandon its ambitions to be a not-a-taxi company, and provide its app to local transportation companies who are already regulatory-compliant.
The taxi company that I used to drive for was large enough to build its own modern [1] app-based dispatching system. So they don't need uber's technology anymore.