Baidu confirms it’s buying a stake in Uber December 17, 2014 Internet giant Baidu – the Chinese equivalent of Google – has confirmed plans to buy a stake in Uber. The company hasn't disclosed the size of the stake, but it's likely Uber will use its newly-forged alliance to offer new features to passengers. Baidu has suggested its tie-up with Uber will "enable users of Baidu [...]
Uber protests in Paris: UberPop banned in France as taxi drivers stage mass demonstration December 15, 2014 France has said it will ban one of the services offered by controversial taxi app Uber from early next year, the same day as Paris' cabbies have staged a mass protest against the ride-sharing service. The French interior ministry announced that UberPop, a low-cost service which lets private drivers make money picking up passengers like [...]
Sydney cafe siege: Uber offers free rides after price rise triggers angry criticism December 15, 2014 Taxi firm Uber is offering customers in Sydney free rides out of the city’s central business district, where at least one gunman is currently holding a group of people hostage in a cafe. Uber had initially come in for criticism after its price for rides in the area surged to a minimum $100 as [...]
Anti-Uber taxi protests to be staged in Paris tomorrow December 14, 2014 Parisian cabbies could clog the city's streets tomorrow in a mass protest against a French court's refusal to ban a controversial service offered by taxi app Uber. Three taxi groups have called on cab drivers to block a number of main streets in Paris from 5am tomorrow, according to a report by news service France [...]
Uber launches first Christmas charity campaign following PR storms and bans in Spain and New Delhi December 9, 2014 After a seemingly never-ending series of controversies and criticisms, taxi hailing app Uber is hoping to raise some Christmas cheer with its biggest charitable undertaking to date. Uber has teamed up with US charity Share Our Strength to work on their “No Kid Hungry” campaign which aims to eliminate child hunger in the US [...]
Uber driver rape allegations: Can taxi app overcome its latest scandal in New Delhi? December 8, 2014 The controversial ridehire app faces public outcry after one of its drivers is accused of rape in New Delhi. Uber's success, its $40bn (£25.6bn) valuation and its rapid adoption as a verb is marred with questionable business practices and a rapid global expansion that has now brought into question whether Uber is “safest rides on [...]
Uber takes fresh hit after Dutch court bans UberPop taxi app December 8, 2014 Taxi app company Uber took a fresh hit today after a court in the Netherlands ruled that the San Francisco startup's UberPop service is now banned because of licensing issues. The Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal in The Hague decided UberPop drivers could be whacked with fines of €10,000 (£7,800) if they violate the rule, [...]
Uber banned in New Delhi after driver rape allegations December 8, 2014 Uber has been banned in the Indian capital of New Delhi after one of its drivers was arrested on suspicion of raping a passenger. “[The] Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect," the city’s government said in a statement. Indian police arrested the Uber [...]
Uber driver held in India over rape allegations after woman reports assault in Delhi December 7, 2014 Controversial ride hire service Uber was back in the spotlight yesterday after Indian police arrested an Uber cab driver suspected of raping a female passenger and said they would take legal action against Uber for failing to run background checks on him. Police opened an investigation after a 26-year-old woman reported that she had been [...]
Uber delivers Christmas trees on demand in Paris, Dubai and Guadalajara, but not in US cities this year December 7, 2014 Not content with delivering people home after a night out, rideshare service Uber is getting festive. Lucky city dwellers in three cities around the world are being treated to Christmas tree deliveries at the tap of a smartphone in another one of the startup’s marketing ploys. These have also included ice cream delivery in London [...]