uber

Uber clears up San Francisco taxi ownership concerns

Just to clear things up once and for all -- Uber does not own vehicles, the company merely connects you to those who do.

In a blog post yesterday, Uber's San Francisco community manager Matt Hearns addressed concerns that the private car hire startup had also moved into operating vehicles that the company connects to passengers looking for a ride.

Hearns says that although some taxis in San Francisco bear the brand "UBER TAXI" on their sides, users should be aware that these vehicles have "no relationship" to the Uber network or company. The community … Read more

More drivers come to UberX in San Francisco

Uber's UberX service, which uses hybrid cars and charges customers less for trips than in traditional cars, is getting a boost, the company has announced.

Uber will be partnering with more drivers in San Francisco through its UberX service, according to a company blog post yesterday. The hybrid cars meet California's requirements for driving, as well as Uber's screening tests to ensure they're fit to handle service, the company said.

UberX was unveiled in July as an invite-only service for San Francisco. At that time, the company said that it couldn't offer it to everyone … Read more

BlackJet, the Uber for private jets, takes off

SAN FRANCISCO--In an era of "Entourage" and a well-publicized fleet of planes personally owned by Google's top execs, the private jet has never before seemed as accessible to so many.

The truth is, of course, that just a tiny fraction of the population will ever set foot on any plane other than a commercial airliner, but traveling by Gulfstream has become romanticized in popular culture, and as that's happened, there's been a rise in the number of companies aiming to provide a more efficient, and more affordable way to fly private.

Into that new environment … Read more

Uber strikes key deal with California regulators

Uber, the on-demand driving service, has temporarily resolved an issue it's been facing with California, the company announced yesterday.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates some driving services in the state, last year issued citations and fines against Internet-based Uber for allegedly operating a "charter-party carrier" service that failed to include insurance coverage and enrollment of its hired drivers in a substance abuse program. CPUC also argued that Uber failed to provide evidence of workers' compensation insurance.

Two other driving services, Lyft and SideCar, were also included in the citation, which fined all three companies $… Read more

Uber car service battles to stay in Colorado

Uber is headed toward another obstacle from city officials, and this time it's in Denver, Colo.

The state's Public Utilities Commission is proposing changes to the rules that regulate motor vehicle transportation, which could essentially shut UberDenver down.

The transportation startup announced today that it's going to fight to keep its service in the state. Uber has created a petition for Colorado residents to sign in support of Uber. The company is also urging locals to e-mail the state's governor, John Hickenlooper, and the chairman and director of the Public Utilities Commission.

"Since our launch … Read more

Uber drives its car service onto the streets of Berlin

Uber began operation in Germany today, giving Berliners their first taste of the fast-growing private car-summoning service.

The service, which the company said is being conducted by "Secret Ubers," is in the testing phase, with more drivers being added each day, Jena Wuu, an international launcher, wrote in a company blog post today. The new service, which allows users to request rides via their smartphones, will apparently be limited to the capital, at least initially.

Interestingly, the service's first passenger was Alexander Ljung, cofounder of the steaming audio host SoundCloud, who was mysteriously "spotted" and … Read more

Uber taxi service goes to Washington, D.C.

Uber started offering its taxi service in Washington, D.C., today, according to the controversial on-call car service's blog.

Uber said the number of taxis are limited for now. "Many taxis don't fit Uber standards, so we are curating our supply pretty carefully," the blog reads.

Uber lets users order cars through its app and put all charges onto an on-file credit card. To request a taxi instead of the usual black sedan, customers need to select "TAXI" in the Uber app. Standard taxi fees apply, and a 20 percent gratuity will be automatically … Read more

Hail-a-cab apps get green light in New York

New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission voted today in favor of a one-year test program that would let people use a smartphone app to hail a taxicab.

And that was sweet news for startup Uber. The private-car service had begun offering its app to cab users in September but stopped the effort a little more than a month later when the commission raised concerns over a long-standing agreement between the taxicab and for-hire vehicle industries.

That arrangement prohibits prearranged rides in New York's iconic yellow cabs, and members of the for-hire industry had said apps like Uber'… Read more

NYC turns to pilot program for app to hail taxis

Whether people call a taxi or hail one can be a contentious matter in New York City -- because of rules set up between yellow cabs and for-hire vehicles. So, it's no surprise that a smartphone app that lets users beckon yellow cabs has been a topic of hot debate with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

The commission announced Wednesday that it will vote on whether to allow such apps in a pilot program, according to the New York Times. The vote is scheduled for Thursday. Update December 13 at 10:04 a.m. PT: On … Read more