France bans Uber car-sharing service after violent nationwide taxi driver protests

[Olo]

You may as well rewrite the title to "French government enforces existing taxi laws", though that's far less click-baity.

I sorta think the violent riots are an important aspect of the story but maybe that's just me.

[Tya]

I sorta think the violent riots are an important aspect of the story but maybe that's just me.

Sure and that's indefensible but my point was more about the "they just can't compete lol" attitude.

[Olo]

Sure and that's indefensible but my point was more about the "they just can't compete lol" attitude.

I agree that uber has an advantage being unregulated. But taxi's have used their government monopoly to avoid improving their service. Not to mention, many of those regulations are unnecessary and inefficient. Many of which are pushed by unions/businesses who are rent-seeking.

[Grummgug]

A liberal government's goal is to create artificial shortages of everything. The purpose is to 1. justify its own existence and 2. control.

Uber threatens to make taxis cheap and plentiful. A liberal government has every incentive to stop that.

The end game of liberals taking over the health care industry is to generate artificial shortages of health care. They will then leverage this against the people. They will threaten to take away their health care if they don't vote yes to new taxes and new power for the the government. Its a racket.

The republican plan is to make taxis or health care cheap and plentiful so that everyone has access. Liberals outright lie about their goals. They claim by putting government in control that they seek to make these things cheap and plentiful but it is exactly the opposite. People vote against their own interests when they put liberals in.

This is just another example. Liberals run France and they clamp down on cheap affordable taxis.

[Tya]

A liberal government's goal is to create artificial shortages of everything. The purpose is to 1. justify its own existence and 2. control.

[Citation Needed]

[imabanana]

Uber threatens to make taxis cheap and plentiful. A liberal government has every incentive to stop that.

Not really. A government in which members or relatives owns (privately) every big taxi companies since 1980 or so has every incentive to stop that.

Biggest company in Paris for example (G7), is owned by ex-Principal Private Secretary of French President Miterrand. In 1993 they bought their biggest rival (taxis bleus), without ANY word of it, for 10 years, almost no one knew that the 2 biggest taxi companies in Paris were in fact the same. Not a single word of it anywhere. Probably because of fear of anti-trust laws, no way this could have been so well hidden for so long without government support. Right now, this company owns about 60% of every taxi in Paris, and invested in absolutely everything related to it (from costume creation companies to meter manufacturing, insurance and... licence reselling, of course.

Last time the government ordered a report on taxis in Paris was in 2007... the guy in charge of the report found nothing wrong with it, nothing at all. Guess what's his position now? CEO of taxis bleus.

And we could go on for pages of things like that looking a bit into taxis history in France.

[breadisfunny]

A liberal government's goal is to create artificial shortages of everything. The purpose is to 1. justify its own existence and 2. control.

Uber threatens to make taxis cheap and plentiful. A liberal government has every incentive to stop that.

The end game of liberals taking over the health care industry is to generate artificial shortages of health care. They will then leverage this against the people. They will threaten to take away their health care if they don't vote yes to new taxes and new power for the the government. Its a racket.

The republican plan is to make taxis or health care cheap and plentiful so that everyone has access. Liberals outright lie about their goals. They claim by putting government in control that they seek to make these things cheap and plentiful but it is exactly the opposite. People vote against their own interests when they put liberals in.

This is just another example. Liberals run France and they clamp down on cheap affordable taxis.

it's all a part of the taxinati conspiracy.

[schwarzkopf]

Also a company cant handle competition, so they ban the competition? Sounds like Bull.

Competition isn't competition when it isn't on a level playing field. Taxi operators require registration, insurance and all sorts of things - UBER does not.

One either has to deregulate taxis or regulate UBER to have actual competition.

[DEATHETERNAL]

So apparently you get what you want in France by being a violent savage. Now I know that’s how Germany always used to get what it wanted from you France, but that isn't how things are supposed to work.

[Brubear]

Competition isn't competition when it isn't on a level playing field. Taxi operators require registration, insurance and all sorts of things - UBER does not.

One either has to deregulate taxis or regulate UBER to have actual competition.

This is something a lot of people can't seem to understand. If some guy invented a food replicator and started selling food to people is it the fault of the restaurants if they can't compete with someone who has pretty much no overhead and doesn't have to comply with any rules or regulations they do?

Now you can argue the merits of how the taxi/Uber services are regulated and that's fine, but it's no where near as simple as "dur they don't like competition so they're mad, bro" as some of you are painting it to be.

[Grummgug]

Competition isn't competition when it isn't on a level playing field. Taxi operators require registration, insurance and all sorts of things - UBER does not.

One either has to deregulate taxis or regulate UBER to have actual competition.

You don't HAVE to do anything. If you let the free market work, the cost of taxis will collapse and the quality of service will rise. That's what free markets do. Government is an obstacle not progress.

[Deleted]

The true question is if they can get the cat in the bag again.

Just banning uber won't be enough.

[imabanana]

How do you plan on compensating people who invested time, money, energy (more generally speaking their life) towards aquiring the right to exercise the job?

My dad used to work as one of those regulated professions earlier in his life. You think it'd be fair to just revoke the numerus clausus after he spent multiple hundred thousand euros, got overwhelmed by debt (which still plagues us to this day as a family), and so on?

I'm not necessarily denying that it can be a bullshit concept to begin with, altho I do believe it makes a lot of sense for certain professions (mostly law-related ones, not taxis - there is no particular integrity or anything needed to become a taxi driver compared to, say, a notary or baileef). But the fact remains that you have to compensate a HUGE amount of people and even if you could pull the money out of nowhere it's not as simple as just refunding their plates.

I'd let them handle their own mess. They invested in a mafia-like organization, they should have prepared for shit to happen.

Or reimburse them the licence, at its official price... oh... wait, it's free.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Overturning cars? Is that really necessary in a protest?

[Sky High]

another reason to hate taxi drivers.

[Flutterguy]

“François Hollande where are the fucking police??? Is it legal for your people to attack visitors? Get your ass to the airport.”

You gotta love Courtney.

[Deleted]

it's all a part of the taxinati conspiracy.

Taxi bleu you know what else is bleu.

Coincidence I doubt it.

[Kellhound]

Uber was already illegal, except it was not really enforced. Taxi drivers rioted to ask for an enforcement of the law...

Sadly the law was not enforced against those riots.

For most profession (french) law requires you to have some kind of a license to ensure that :
1) You are somewhat qualified
2) You are running a somewhat legal business
3) You pay your taxes

For taxi, you might wonder why such restrictions would apply (technically to have a cab license in France you need some kind of first aid courses...), but you'd understand why law makers would be doubtful regarding an 'Uber Heart Surgeon'.

Laws is not in favor of monopolies, but as often, it is in favor of official, registered businesses

It is there to ensure that:
1) You pay your fees
2) You pay your taxes
3) You pay your taxes.

Anything else that may happen because of licenses is purely unintentional.

[MMKing]

Well protesting is an appropriate response when the government is not enforcing law. However, it should also enforce the law and protect the property of it's citizens who have been affected by the protesters violent behavior.

I also love that Facebook post. Courtney has just been held up by protesting Frenchmen, then states that she loves French people, and that the government blows.

[Mistame]

Overturning cars? Is that really necessary in a protest?

For the kind of people who protest, yep.

OT: Oh, France. You're like Europe's Kansas. /snicker