Taxi Drivers Protest Introduction of Uber into Korea
I will be surprised if Korean authorities allow Uber to continue to operate over the long term considering how it will greatly affect the large number of taxi drivers in the country:
Uber, a U.S-based ride-sharing service app company, has proposed meetings with taxi drivers in Seoul who have been protesting its presence in Korea.
An official from the Seoul Taxi Association (STA) reacted negatively to the proposal, saying Uber will have to stop its service first.
“Uber remains open to meeting with the taxi associations to discuss how Uber can help improve the lives and economic opportunities for Seoul’s taxi drivers,” Uber Korea said in a statement released Tuesday.
The statement came after thousands of taxi drivers staged a rally in central Seoul, asking the city government to kick Uber out of the Korean market.
“Uber first must agree to stop their service. Then, we can talk,” a tax lobby official said.
Launched in August, Uber connects customers with Uber-registered drivers through a smartphone app. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but has anyone tried this yet in Korea? I wonder how much cheaper this is compared to the already reasonable taxi fares?
I can’t imagine trusting non-licensed taxis…
Can you imagine licensed taxis in Korea are somehow exponentially better than unlicensed ones?
“Uber first must agree to stop their service. Then, we can talk,”
Yeah, then there’s nothing to talk about. lol
I always took the black taxis. They have a financial interest in avoiding accidents and tickets.
We all know this story:
Thing is invented, people buy thing. Eventually thing becomes popular enough for a rise in complaints by customer from less than noble business selling thing. People too lazy to do something about it call for action by the government despite their already being a process in place.
Politician sees complaints as a platform to run on with vow of regulation of things to ensure safety, fairness, jobs, etc. Regulation passes because of course they’re called law makers for a reason. Regulation eventually grows tongue and begins to self-lick because of course more votes can be gained by supporting existing regulation with promises of more jobs and efficiency.
Self licking regulation becomes so stifling that only a few competitors remain. Remaining competitors collude with each other and work toward lobby to ensure legislation is never lifted or reduced to ensure their stranglehold on thing.
Politicians prosper, competitors prosper, people are lied to and always are on the receiving end of cost increases, and anyone who would try to put an end to this corrupt process is crushed beneath heal. People still don’t care so cycle ensues.
It’s a story called Crony Capitalism and it’s available at your local government, on sale now.
If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan. 😉
But I like the black taxis. 😀