German politicians want to get Uber out of the legal grey area

What`s new in the taxi world? Our bilingual ‘Update’ summarizes the international news of the last days and hours. We recommend using a website-translator because some links can be in foreign languages.

International News

Uber is suspending UberPOP in Spain: The company’s decision to halt operations follows an injunction issued against it by a Spanish court.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-is-suspending-its-operations-in-spain-2014-12?r=US

China bans private drivers in taxi app clampdown: China’s transport ministry has banned taxi hailing apps such as Uber Technologies Inc and local rivals Kuaidi Dache and Didi Dache from using cars and drivers without taxi licenses in a bid to regulate the rapidly growing sector.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/09/us-china-apps-taxi-idUSKBN0KI07E20150109

Uber driver struck golf instructor: Before the collision, the driver had made almost 1,300 trips with Uber. He has since been suspended.

http://nypost.com/2015/01/05/driver-who-fatally-struck-golf-instructor-worked-for-uber/

Mercedes-Benz unveils self-driving car: The latest concept car is a driverless living space.

http://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/06/mercedes-benz-f-015-luxury-in-motion-self-driving-car-automation-autonomous-vehicle-ces-2015/

Daimler’s car sharing unit car2go expands to China: The Stuttgart-based auto giant says car2go will launch in the western city of Chongqing, the initial base in Asia.

http://www.asiaeu.com/business/daimlers-car-sharing-unit-car2go-expands-to-china-with-launch-in-chongqing-h139710.html

Quote of the day

„Taximeter manufacturers cannot keep up with programming.“

From a statement of the Regional Taxi Federation as to why taxis with invalid taxi fares are on the road in Thuringia in Germany.

Photogenic passengers: A taxi driver from Wales has photographed his customers. Not to be missed.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/mike-harvey-south-wales-taxi-photos-101

News from Germany

The leading German political party CDU wants to get Uber out of the legal gray zone: A draft for loosening the rules for transporting passengers is to be adopted at the weekend during a meeting of the National Executive.

http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/wirtschaft/CDU-will-Uber-aus-rechtlicher-Grauzone-holen-id32556277.html

Taximeter with incorrect fares: In Thuringia almost everywhere increased taxi fares are valid from January (for financing the minimum wage). However, there is still a big problem to input the new tariffs into the meter.

http://www.ltv-thueringen.de/page/presse/-d_15830-t_news_detail/

Taxi focus of the press: Several press reports shed light on the first day on which the legal minimum wage must be paid.

http://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Stadt/Uebersicht/Was-bedeutet-der-Mindestlohn-fuer-Hannover

http://www.schwaebische.de/region_artikel,-Mindestlohn-bringt-manchen-Taxi-Fahrer-um-Job-_arid,10150582_toid,351.html

http://www.come-on.de/lokales/luedenscheid/mindestlohn-trifft-taxi-gilde-4602776.html

http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/nachrichten-aus-wetter-und-herdecke/mindestlohn-laesst-taxi-unternehmer-bangen-id10204333.html

http://www.rbb-online.de/extra/2015/Jahresvorschau-2015/beitraege/mindestlohn-fuer-taxifahrer.html

News from Switzerland

Uber was not an option on New Year’s Eve: This is the result of an evaluation from Google Trends.

http://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/technologie/prosit-neujahr-taxi-schlaegt-uber-zum-jahreswechsel-719965