Ridership on Uber increased by 850% on Wednesday thanks to the protests made by black cabs leaving Londoners snarled in heavy traffic.
That is the report given by Uber’s general manager in the UK Jo Bertram told local papers. It is impossible to verify the figure from the taxi-booking app as no real numbers were released, but with the great publicity earned due to the protests it could be possible.
While cabbies in London protest that the Uber taxis are operating illegally, Uber earned more favor from its customers by offering more discounts.
In London, an advertisement of a full page in evening newspapers offered all new customers a discount of up to 20 pounds or $34 on their first use of the service.
The taxi’s strategy of protesting might have backfired in their faces, by handing a large marketing opportunity to Uber that appears as if it is paying off for the app.
The general manager at Uber for Europe said what is taking place is an industry that has not worried about competition for many decades and now are seeing legitimate competition that is giving customers a choice.
He added that the taxi industry in the majority of countries was regulated and not pro-consumer.
The current problem is about regulation. Taxi drivers are saying they have rules as well as fare taxes weighing them down that do not apply to companies like Uber.
A mediator appointed by the government in France is preparing new legislation that would resolve the ongoing problem there.
One proposal that could potentially challenge the business model of Uber would give customers in France only the opportunity to see licensed taxis on an app the government run body would create.
In Spain, the Ministers of Transportation and Public Works said the country wants intervention from the European Commission to clarify the subject.
The digital commissioner from the European Union spoke out against the many protests saying the economy needs entrepreneurs and ignoring them, striking or banning them would not help manage the disruption.
