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– There is room for innovation in the Norwegian taxi market. Norwegian consumers have been asking for simpler and more reliable transportation for many years. We are happy to finally be back, says Peter Löfstrand, Uber’s Nordic Director in a press release.
The company, which offers passenger transportation through its app, made clear in 2017 that it had shut down its Uber Pop service, pending regulations governing Uber services.
Two new services
The new taxi law will take effect on November 1, giving Uber the opportunity to launch the Uberx service. In addition, there is the Uber Green service, where drivers use electric cars.
The adopted bill repeals, among other things, the regulation of how many taxi licenses can be issued in a county, removes the requirement that taxis must be connected to a taxi center, and sets fewer requirements for those who must have taxi licenses cab.
Uber writes in the press release that the new services meet the requirements of the new Taxi Law. Services will be available on Monday, November 2.
Uber Black and Uber Lux services, where drivers drive luxury cars, as well as Uberxxl, where drivers drive large cars that can carry several at once, have been available for several years and will continue to be.
Fear of dishonest actors
Hanne Skåle Thowsen, head of the Taxi Association, tells DN that they are concerned that Uber and similar concepts may “operate on the sidelines.” The union has criticized deregulation “to the end,” according to Thowsen.
– We know from the past that the way they operate indicates that they do not follow national regulations.
– Like what?
– Do drivers drive, for example, with roof gauges? Uber has previously operated with orders and payments through one application to another between the passenger and the driver, but even with a deregulation, there is still a requirement to install a ceiling meter in the taxi. Registration of payment by taximeter is important to avoid tax evasion. The existing taxi industry also has applications, but then the payment is recorded on the meter. In addition, we know how Uber has operated in terms of working conditions for its drivers. It’s also central, Thowsen says.
When asked what she thinks are the dangers of deregulation, the director says there is a fear that rogue players will focus more on price than quality and safety.
– In addition, we are concerned that no one controls the industry. In our neighboring countries, deregulation has occurred continuously, and they report significant tax evasion after deregulation. If you want to have a serious taxi industry after November 1, checking if the industry follows all the rules is absolutely crucial.
– As long as Uber competes on an equal footing as the existing taxi industry has done and does, they just have to come. We are ready for the competition, he adds.
He received a fine of five million.
When Uber entered the Norwegian market in 2014, it created quite a stir by threatening the traditional taxi industry in Oslo. The company has consistently maintained that it is synonymous with innovation in the taxi market, while critics have accused it of social dumping.
Before Uber shut down parts of the business in 2017, multiple drivers had to pay fines for driving without a taxi license. In addition, the two Uber companies, Uber Norway as and Uber BV, passed fines of NOK 2.5 million each for violating the Commercial Transportation Law.
Uber writes in the press release that all of its drivers are self-employed or affiliated with an outside company, and that all drivers have a driver’s license, a taxi license, and a registered taxi.
Trouble in London and at home
However, it is not only in Norway where the transport company has had a setback.
Last fall, he joked about Uber’s continued existence in London when transport authorities decided not to grant Uber a license for additional operations. The background was an investigation that, according to Fincancial Times, found more than 14,000 Uber trips by unauthorized drivers between late 2018 and early 2019. The background of the trips is a weakness in the application that has allowed drivers to manipulate it to carry passengers, according to Bloomberg.
Earlier this fall, however, it became clear that Uber had a new license approved, after appealing the decision last fall. London is one of the largest and most lucrative markets for Uber in Europe.
In his home state of California, Uber and its competitor Lyft have been in a lawsuit against authorities for several months. Last week, it became clear that companies should reclassify their drivers as employees rather than individual contractors, CNN wrote, citing a decision by a California appeals court. (Terms)Copyright Dagens Næringsliv AS and / or our suppliers. We would like you to share our cases via a link, which leads directly to our pages. Copying or other use of all or part of the content may only be done with written permission or as permitted by law. For more terms, see here.
