CANADA
Calgary's taxi committee has voted to create 222 new taxi licences, but the decision may have created a hitch that could keep Uber from launching in the city before the holidays.
Adding more taxis will give drivers a chance to compete with the growth of ride-hailing companies like Uber, committee members argued on Friday.
Uber could hit Calgary streets in time for the holidays, councillor says
The livery transport advisory committee also approved amendments to Calgary's rules for ride-hailing, recommending the new taxis hit the streets first and that could take up to three months.
"Ninety days is typically how much time it takes to from the date of approval of a taxi plate to the date that it actually gets on the road and is rolling," said chief livery inspector Mario Henriques.
Uber was hoping to launch in Calgary in time for the holiday season.
City council, which still needs to vote on the recommendations from the committee, will discuss the changes later this month.
Associated Taxi spokesman Roger Richard said he would prefer to see the taxi system opened up so there are no limits on how many cars are on the street, allowing the industry to compete head-to-head with ride-hailing services.
"Why create restrictions on our side?" he said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/taxi-committee-wants-more-cabs-on-the-street-before-uber-arrives-1.3858753
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DENMARK
Uber has suffered a fresh blow after the Danish high court ruled that it was an illegal taxi service rather than a ridesharing programme.
The judgment is the latest blow for the company which is facing resistance from regulators around the world.
Last year the Telegraph disclosed that Transport for London was planning its own crackdown on Uber with a series of regulations including banning companies from showing cars for hire within a smartphone app.
However the plans were dropped by Boris Johnson, London’s former mayor.
The ruling by the Danish High Court upheld the conviction of six Uber drivers who were found guilty of violating the country’s taxi laws and were fined between 2,000 and 6,000 kroner (£230 to £690) each.
It came amid growing anger among Denmark’s taxi drivers, the Local reported, who complained that they were facing unfair competition.
As a result of the decision, the Copenhagen state prosecutor’s office will be able to bring a case against San Francisco-based Uber itself.
The company, which has already signed up 300,000 customers to its smartphone app in Denmark, said it was very disappointed by the ruling.
Action has also been taken against Uber in France, Belgium and Germany. Elsewhere taxi drivers have taken to the streets to protest against Uber’s presence in a number of cities including Sao Paulo, Rome, Warsaw and Melbourne
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/19/uber-declared-an-illegal-taxi-service-by-danish-high-court/
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PARLIAMENT
Should taxi drivers in England be legally required to undergo disability training?
That's what MPs are discussing with the introduction of a Private Members Bill by Andrew Gwynne MP that is being debated in Parliament today.
According to the Guide Dogs charity, there is an ongoing issue with guide dog owners being illegally turned away by drivers who do not want to carry their dog.
New research by the charity shows 42% of blind or visually impaired people were significantly more likely to be turned away by drivers because of their dog, while 38% of guide dog owners have been illegally asked to pay an extra fare for carrying their dog.
The charity said being discriminated against in this way is not only distressing, it can also stop people who are living with sight-loss do everyday things that most people take for granted.
Rosemary Howell, 28, is visually impaired and lives in rural Cambridgeshire.
She told Sky News she had been refused by three different taxi drivers because they did not want to take her dog, Una, who she has had for about two years.
The drivers had been given disability training but she said the experience left her feeling vulnerable and she would like there to be tougher penalties.
She said: "Even when I got in a taxi they didn't seem that bothered and I felt very unwanted.
"Why should I have to be different from everyone else just because I have a disability and I have something that will help me?
"Taxi drivers need educating because then they might have a bit more empathy with service users who have guide dogs or assistance dogs because they understand that dog needs to go with the owner in the front.
"A lot of taxi companies say you have to have the dog in the boot, and you can't have that because it has to go with the owner.
"If education is there to teach these people this is the law and this is what service dogs are, I think life for a disabled person will be a lot easier."
Both the Licensed Private Hire Car Association and the National Taxi Association are backing the bill while Transport for London, which looks after 35% of England & Wales' licensed vehicles, is introducing mandatory disability equality training for drivers.
Uber says any driver who refuses to take a guide dog will permanently lose access to its app and risks losing their licence.
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