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Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

reuters.com

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Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#81

Post by rasmusei »

Not sure if the following has already been mentioned in other comments, so apologies if I'm posting redundant information.

The "ride-sharing services" that make profits are already illegal in Sweden according to court decision, since it essentially means "taxi company without the annoying taxes". And consequently UberPOP has been suspended in Sweden along with several other EU countries (as also noted in the original post).

So the new proposal mostly seems like a way to clarify legislation: If you do something systematically to make a profit, we call that business and you pay taxes and follow all other relevant legislation (worker's rights etc). Makes very much sense to me.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#83

Post by zzzzzzzzzman »

j-pb wrote: post #77
thlst wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds like forcing a service (that you might not want) down your throat, and accusing you of stealing if you refuse to pay. It would be surprisingly better to let monkeys pay for what they want to use, instead of making every monkey pay for what they won't ever use.

Everybody is a neoliberal until they have to pay for their own hospital bill.

I am an American and I pay for all of my medical care privately, without insurance :)

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#84

Post by tacomonstrous »

zzleeper wrote: post #32
nothrabannosir wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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. Typically this should lead to more competition ther…

Not really. There is an econ paper that explains why (Xavier Gabaix's shrouded prices theory), but the idea is this: There are some consumers that are naive (tourists in this case) and you can exploit them (go to the airport, and wait until you get a naive guy). Now, suppose a competitor can find a way to educate consumers: you print pamphlets listing the true costs and hire someone to distribute them everywhere. Now…

But isn't this exactly the duty of an entity like, say, the municipality or the airport administration? That's one of the major roles of the state: To step in when there is no profit motive to do the 'right thing'.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#85

Post by daemin »

My take on the whole Uber vs Taxis thing is much more about just convenience and user experience.

If the taxis got together and created an app that you could hail a taxi, track its progress, and follow it to your destination, and take the payment automatically, there would have been no (or far less) need of Uber.

I have had several experiences where I called for a taxi, but none arrived. Then I went to the main road and hailed one within minutes.

So it's all about user experience.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#86

Post by qyv »

zzzzzzzzzman wrote: post #61
j-pb wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the banana was grown on the fields that the other monkeys paid for, transported on the roads that the other monkeys paid for and the monkey received it's education on how to get it's banana from a school that the other monkeys funded. If you live on a farm off the grid have solar power, collect your own rain water and don't ever leave your plot of land fine don't pay taxes. But if you want the niceties of civ…

"If you live on a farm off the grid...." I agree, the monkey that does what you described shouldn't be forced to pay taxes. But I am still confused as to why the monkey and his family can't attend private schools, drive on private roads, receive medical services from a private doctor, and donate any bananas he voluntarily decides to contribute to right the wrongs of his monkey island :) In my opinion, the other monke…

And private police, private military, private customs & border security... You cannot live in a modern nation and not rely on services that are paid for by taxes.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#88

Post by Tepix »

toss1941 wrote: post #60
justinhj wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you look at many factors Sweden is way more livable than the USA. Perhaps that explains why culturally they don't mind paying higher taxes. I've worked in the US and Canada. I pay more taxes in Canada but the social services and health care are much better here and I can go to great public facilities like gyms and pools that I had to pay for privately in NY

Fully public facilities like gyms and pools are just one brand of soda, as it were. Some people don't like Pepsi, they'd rather drink Coca Cola, or put more plainly at least go to gyms and pools where the people have an appreciation of the cost of good things. There is the central difference between the American way of doing things, people have more freedom to choose what they spend their money on. If you are subsidi…

How are you being forced? You're free to leave the country and live somewhere else where there is no health care for the poor. It sounds as if the Swedish people are fine with the system. It works for them. It works remarkably well indeed.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#89

Post by zzzzzzzzzman »

krisroadruck wrote: post #75
3poundkilograms wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to feed the doctor monkey, the asphalt monkey and the teacher monkey, from whom we receive services." One monkey from the group, which just came back in his car from the doctor monkey with his daughter that goes to the local monkey school: "I refuse to give up my bananas!". Remember context. Full context is imp…

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to pay for a 1.2 trillion banana fighter jet that doesnt work, and also to give bananas to people who aren't contributing any bananas at all" One monkey from the group, who makes 4 of the 5 bananas, and doesn't want a 1.2 trillion banana fighter jet notices that all the people who are clamoring to take bananas…

Now now now Mr. Monkey, these fighter jets are for your protection! And the blanket banana surveillance we conduct on you and your community is also important so that we can collect a banana salary while protecting you from people that want to hurt you :)
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