Uber is a ride arranging "system" — mobile app and independent drivers — that works separate of the normal taxi infrastructure. It's an interesting concept — but has gotten heavy push-back in some locales where taxi companies have lobbied city councils and state legislatures to try to ban it.
In Denver, it's legal. Unless, of course, the cops think it isn't.
Reshared post from +Koushik Dutta
Man this creepy.
TL;DR:
Governor of CO declares Uber legal. Police decide it is still open for debate. Cop pulls over Uber and tells the rider what he is doing is illegal, and offers him a "free" ride to the airport.
My Uber got pulled over by the Denver police — and then things got really weird – GeekWire
Colorado is the self-described “vanguard” of innovation. But that’s not really how it felt to me on Friday after the Denver police stopped the UberX I was
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And either publicity or bizarrity of the story has Denver PD officials investigating.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_26189832/denver-police-open-investigation-into-bizarre-uberx-incident
The insurance for a mincab driver in the UK is £4,000 or more. Non-cab Insurance policies specifically exclude hiring for profit. If you carry a passenger on your £300 insurance then you are driving uninsured. Minicabs must also be licenced; hence the phrase ‘licenced taxi’. This costs money. The H&S standards for taxis are also higher and cost more.
What Uber says is “Hey its not breaking the law because lassez- faire.”