Regulation + corruption == not-so-free-market

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

DC City Council "Uber Amendment" Would Force Sedans To Charge 5x Minimum Taxi Prices (Kill UberX)

Uber cannot catch a break in Washington, DC. The city taxi commission tried to shut the private car service down last January over rule violations that it wasn't actually committing. Now the local government is taking another shot, considering a legislative amendment tomorrow that would force sedan car services like Uber to charge at least five times the minimum cost of cabs.

To be clear, the overall legislation is great, in that it forces taxi companies to start taking credit card payments and using GPS. But the amendment part does not even bother to hide its intentions.

The section's name is literally "Uber Amendments," and comes with a layman's explanation that "[t]hese requirements would ensure that sedan service is a premium class of service with a substantially higher cost that does not directly compete with or undercut taxicab service." (I've obtained the full amendment from Uber, and you can check it out below.)

[Ideologue]

I got some sedan service the other day.

[garbon]

Poor DC.

[Scipio]

We have always been at war with Uber!

[garbon]

Oh yay, NYC is expected to have cab fares rise by 17%!

[DGuller]

Those million dollar medallions don't come cheap.

[garbon]

Those million dollar medallions don't come cheap.

Just makes me more likely to stick to public transport.

[DGuller]

Those million dollar medallions don't come cheap.

Just makes me more likely to stick to public transport.

This just made me less likely to stick to public transport.

[garbon]

Those million dollar medallions don't come cheap.

Just makes me more likely to stick to public transport.

This just made me less likely to stick to public transport.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Oh yay, NYC is expected to have cab fares rise by 17%!

That is a huge hike, especially with gas prices going down or staying about the same.

[The Brain]

Good old USSA.

[garbon]

Oh yay, NYC is expected to have cab fares rise by 17%!

That is a huge hike, especially with gas prices going down or staying about the same.

Actually I've revised my opinion. I've taken a few cabs as of late and they are actually pretty cheap right now.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Oh yay, NYC is expected to have cab fares rise by 17%!

That is a huge hike, especially with gas prices going down or staying about the same.

Actually I've revised my opinion. I've taken a few cabs as of late and they are actually pretty cheap right now.

Yays!