A New Partnership With Europe
Written byLast updated: 7 Dec 2015
With 2015 just underway, Uber has big goals for European riders, drivers and cities. But we can’t get there alone. Today, at the DLD15 Conference in Munich, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick laid out Uber’s commitment to establishing new partnerships with Europe’s cities to ensure innovation, harness powerful economic benefits and promote core city functions.
“Uber is committed to establishing new partnerships with Europe’s cities to ensure innovation, harness powerful economic benefits and promote core city functions.”
Uber is already seeing those positive changes where it’s been around the longest, generating tens of thousands of new jobs and attracting millions of riders. And in line with the theme of this year’s DLD: “It’s only the beginning”. This year, in close partnership with European cities, we can take 400,000 cars off the road, expand UberPOOL and reduce emissions, all while creating 50,000 new jobs across the continent.
Photo: DLD
Uber is working with governments on new rules to ensure public safety is protected, choice and competition thrive and economic growth and tax revenue rise. In 2014 alone, 22 different jurisdictions in the United States passed new laws regulating ridesharing. Just last week Kolkata, India did the same and progressive legislation is being considered right now in the Netherlands, Brussels and Helsinki.
Uber will work hard to forge new partnerships with European cities that put those same principles first:
Rider and Driver Safety
We are committed to developing pre-screening policies that improve safety while also staying fair. We are continuously developing new technology tools that improve safety, and are building strong relationships and communication with local officials and law enforcement.
Choice and Competition
When consumers can connect to any transportation provider at different price points and drivers have the freedom to choose how they make a living, cities see a reduction in DUIs, an increase in rides for underserved neighborhoods and increased earnings for drivers compared to traditional transportation opportunities.
Economic Growth
Cities should abolish limits on the number of transportation jobs and streamline the licensing process. This is critical not only for professional drivers but also those who want to drive a few hours a day on their own schedule to supplement their income. The transportation economy can then better provide opportunity for those looking for more flexibility as well as the unemployed and the underemployed.
Tax Collection
App-based transportation brings transportation economy ‘on the grid’, where the industry has long been cash-based. Uber wants to partner closely with tax authorities to increase transportation providers’ compliance and overall tax revenue for cities and countries across Europe.
As with our recent initiative with the city of Boston, Uber can share smart data with partner cities to help them manage growth, reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and expand public transportation. We’re confident this combination of data sharing, job creation and reduced use of personal automobiles represents important partnership opportunities for Europe’s cities as well. We look forward to working together in the months ahead.