What’s new in the taxi world? Our bilingual ‘update’ summarises the international news of the last days and hours. As some of the links are in foreign languages, we recommend using a website translator.
International News
Uber offices in Amsterdam searched: Transport ministry inspectors from the taxi inspection service IL&T on Thursday lunchtime raided the Amsterdam offices of online taxi service Uber.
https://taxi-times.com/en/transport-ministry-inspectors-ilt-raid-uber-offices-in-amsterdam/
New branding and logo: ECab, together with taxi.eu and Taxi 40100 (Vienna), the founding members of the IRU GTN (Global Taxi Network), has developed a new logo and slogan.
https://www.facebook.com/eCabApp
Uber on television: Franco-German television network ARTE is broadcasting an interview with Uber’s European general manager Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty (starting at 20:10). Also, a former Uber-driver reveals all (16:24) and the tax model is explained (16:47).
French / Französisch: http://www.arte.tv/guide/fr/057880-005/vox-pop
Uber manager arrested in Seoul: According to a report from ‘ZDnet’, two of the company’s executives were arrested in Seoul.
https://taxi-times.com/en/frankfurt-paris-brussels-seoul-uber-keeps-taking-a-beating/
Quote of the day
“Sometimes I think that after 125 years, the automotive industry is also suffering from dementia!”
Automotive expert Dr Helmut Becker does not believe in self-driving cars. Will he turn out to be right? Also have a look at our article on autonomous driving.
Automobile news
30 electric taxis for Dundee / Scotland: The zero emission fleet will help improve Dundee’s air quality.
http://www.nextgreencar.com/news/7014/dundee-electric-taxi-fleet-enters-service
News from Germany
Major loss of trust: Only one out of two citizens in Germany would trust a taxi driver. Two years ago, the figure was still 66 per cent.
http://meedia.de/2015/03/19/studie-nur-taxifahrer-haben-mehr-vertrauen-eingebuesst-als-journalisten/
News from Austria
New taxi chairman in Vienna: Gökhan Keskin will now be the key person handling the concerns of the Viennese taxi trade in the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. He is replacing Christian Gerzabek.
Uber loses its Austrian general manager: Johannes Wesemann is leaving the US- ridesharing service with immediate effect. Rasoul Daniel Jalali, general manager of Uber in Switzerland, will now also manage operations in the neighbouring country.
Doubts about his own forecast? Just days before leaving the company, Wesemann announced a 30 per cent revenue increase for Uber Vienna.
http://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/wien-taxibranche-will-billig-anbieter-uber-klagen/120.388.574
autonomous drive
Self-driving cars are no longer science fiction: Seven companies are testing automated vehicles on California highways.
Our last words
Berlin: A 21-year-old perpetrator attacked a taxi driver just so that he could go to prison. Hopefully it will remain an isolated incident.
http://www.bz-berlin.de/tatort/menschen-vor-gericht/taxi-raeuber-will-unbedingt-in-den-knast
