I feel that every time this issue gets discussed, it needs to have some background information provided, because quite frankly, taxi drivers in France suck.<p>From my own personal experience, I have had the following incidents:
1) a taxi driver that took me the long way round from a train station to my home. Thinking I was a tourist, because of my accent, he basically tried to take me for a ride thinking I wouldn't notice. That lifted the bill by 50% compared to the usual price.<p>2) A taxi driver in Marseille that wouldn't finish the trip until I gave him my phone number. My choice was to either get out in the middle of one of the roughest neighbourhoods of Marseille and try and find another taxi, or hand over my phone number (which he <i>verified</i> by calling me on it before continuing) - I had to change my phone number after that one.<p>3) Countless occassions of having taxis refusing to take me as a customer because I wanted to go to a part of the city they didn't want to go to. One particular occassion struck me as bad - I had the car door open and one foot off the ground when he realised where I wanted to go and took off. Considering I was a lone 35-yr old woman at the time, dressed in a business suit, he obviously wasn't worrying about his safety.<p>4) I have a friend who actually works in the Boers (mentioned in the article). When I'm out with him, he won't let me get into a taxi until he's checked the guy's (most taxi drivers are men, and on the rare occassion I've had a female driver, they have been nothing but professional - make of that what you will) papers <i>and</i> flashed his badge to keep the driver on his best behaviour).<p>5) If I move my grievances out to people one removed from me (ie people I personally know), you can add in a guy getting physically hauled out of a taxi and beaten by the driver because the driver didn't want to go where he wanted, another guy getting hit by a taxi when walking across a pedestrian crossing, only to have the taxi driver get out of his vehicule, abuse and kick said friend for slowing him down, and then driving off, and a taxi that took off with a friend's luggage in the boot, which he never got back.<p>So yeah, I have about zero sympathy for French taxi drivers - the sooner they're run out of business, the better. Their latest behaviour has just confirmed for me that I won't ever be using one again if I can avoid it.
The other week I was in LA on business and I took a taxi to my hotel. If taxis in Paris are anything like there, no wonder Uber is so popular...<p>The hotel was about 5 miles from LAX. First the taxi driver suggested I might be able to take a shuttle bus (I had just landed after a 16 hour flight and didn't want to figure out and wait however long for that) and after persuasion agreed to take me. He had no idea where the household-name hotel was, so I had to give him directions from Google Maps. For that 10 minute trip I paid $25 + tip.<p>On the way back I took UberX, the driver was a lot friendlier and even helped to find which terminal I needed as I had no idea. Total price $6.50. I gave him a five stars and $10 tip as he was great.
Uber being available in Paris was one of the greatest thing to happen for tourists and residents alike. I agree with the general sentiment, Taxis in France are some of the worst taxis I've used. I've had a lot of bad experiences. And lest you think it's due to racism or because they thought I was a tourist (not that this would excuse their behaviour one iota), I'm French and I was born in Paris.<p>I can understand the financial hardship brought by Uber and the frustration with the license prices but as a group, they have not endeared themselves to me and none of my friends have generally positive experiences with them.<p>It's high time a service like Uber which penalises drivers for bad experience exists.
Uber seems the problem everywhere Taxi market is highly regulated. Uber operates also in Warsaw, this was a news for a day or two, but later nothing really happened.<p>In Poland Taxi market is almost non-regulated. Taxi driver must pass medical examination, both physical and mental health is checked, plus there are a few other reasonable requirements.<p>As a result of this, in Warsaw there are more then 20 Taxi corporations, plus Uber, plus independent taxi drivers.<p>The interesting thing is that prices vary quite a lot, since corporations are not competing over prices only. Some corporations have fancy cars, some corporations are more available during high traffic hours.<p>Taxis offer also side services - if you run out of alcohol during party, the taxi driver can get one for you in 10 min. You have a car, went to bar, drunk to much to drive - no problem, taxi will arrive with another driver, who will drive your car home.<p>I understand that governments are regulating explosives production, but why the hell they mess with something so simple as driving people from place A to B is beyond my imagination.
As someone quipped on Twitter, "soon enough postmen will block access to office buildings nationwide to protest the widespread use of email".
Courtney Love Cobain :<p>"they've ambushed our car and are holding our driver hostage. they're beating the cars with metal bats. this is France?? I'm safer in Baghdad"<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Courtney/status/614022179978502146" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/Courtney/status/614022179978502146</a>
When a taxi driver feels justified in beating up a customer rather than servicing them, you know you're dealing with just another Mafia. Being exposed to market forces is certainly not comfortable but the sorry state of taxi services shows how economic sectors degrade when you shield them from market forces. They even forget how to act in the interest of self-preservation.
Good news everybody!<p>The taxi geniuses even beat up an uber _customer_ for daring to use uber instead of being content with NOT using a taxi, as thee taxis were on strike! Well done!<p>If this was a joke, I wouldn't believe it! Comedy gold!
Apparently they're attacking Uber/Uber like cars they find on their way: <a href="https://twitter.com/imnotalone/status/613961119766609920" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/imnotalone/status/613961119766609920</a>
What i don't get is that ultimately, forcing all taxi drivers to work through systems like uber, could prove better for everyone in the long run, including the state. No more fraud ( how many times did the drivers forced you to pay in cash), so more taxes collected and easier monitoring of the overall taxi profession.<p>Having centralized live tracking of every aspect of the taxi service actually make things <i>easier</i> to regulate, not harder.
It seems I was lucky in France, no majorly bad taxi drivers<p>Or, you know, just get the bus, it's cheaper (not always possible, I know)<p>But yeah, it seems they just began digging their own grave.<p>Meanwhile in "technology driven" Germany Uber has been banned
According to another article it appears the taxi drivers use of violence and road blocks has worked, the France Interior minister has banned UberPop from use in the city and enforced by the police.<p>The verge article stated that costs for licenses can be nearly quarter million. How is that even remotely reasonable to anyone?