Should Uber be legalised in Qld?

The NSW Government has suspended the licences of 40 Sydney drivers.

Several dozen taxi drivers staged a rolling protest in central Bratislava on 28 September to complain about the ride-sharing app Uber.

Mr Barr also announced cuts to taxi leasing fees and hire auto restrictions, as well as criminal and health checks and accreditation for Uber drivers.

An RMS spokesperson said that the suspension for the 40 UberX vehicles will start on Wednesday at 12 a.m. and will last for three months. All up there are about 15,000 Uber drivers in the country.

“No final decisions have been made and we’re keen to hear a range of views from the trade and from Londoners too”.

From October 30, taxi licence fees will be halved to $10,000, and halved again to $5000 a year later.

Australian Taxi Industry Association chief executive Blair Davies said Uber was making “nonsense” claims and said he was disappointed with the ACT government’s regulations.

Taxi drivers in the southeastern Australian state have continued to apply pressure on the state government to ensure Uber drivers pay the same license and registration fees as taxis however this has not prevented Uber drivers taking to the road. “This effectively is laying those drivers out to dry, as they will not get covered by their personal policy and will then not be helped by Uber because they broke the terms of the agreement”. “They are using loopholes all over the world”.

“What we are trying to do is have the court declare that Uber is operating illegally, and therefore it must stop”, he said. The case is ongoing and Uber declines to comment.

Uber is now fighting fires on multiple fronts.

It generally charges lower fares than traditional firms and drivers rely on technology for navigation. So an Uber driver will have to replace his or vehicle in about one-third the time of a normal commuting and pleasure auto owner.

The NRMA is also calling on the taxi industry to abolish its five per cent card payment surcharge and review its “draconian” leasing and network fees now forced on individual drivers.

Yellow-cab interests in New York are also cheering on a lawsuit in California that seeks to require Uber to classify its drivers as employees rather than as independent contractors.

The proposed regulations were sensible and safety-based, the company said in a statement.

At 2 a.m. after a night at the bars, a taxi cab is the one of the most reliable ways to get home safe.

But the taxi lobby is strong in Rio and the law was passed by an overwhelming majority in the city council.

The ATO held months of discussions with the taxi industry and the rapidly growing sharing economy services such as Uber and Airbnb. “Not because of safety issues, but because of the threat to their profits and their outdated business model”.

“Uber is doing the right thing by saying drivers should confirm their involvement with the company through their insurance provider”.

The next battle looms in October when the NSW Government hands down the findings of a taskforce charged with investigating the future of the state’s taxi, hire vehicle and ride sharing industry.