Erdogan says Uber is 'over' in Turkey

World
Europe

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday the ride-hailing app Uber is "over" in Turkey, driven out by the strong demand from local taxi drivers.

"This thing emerged called Uber or Muber or whatever," said Erdogan. "But this issue is now finished. It's over now."

Istanbul's yellow-taxi drivers had claimed that the ambitious company is stealing their business and money because of lax laws. For example, some Uber drivers illegally use uncensored vehicles as taxis, they said. The local taximen have fiercely campaigned over the last few months to have Uber banned.

Erdogan’s angry ban implicitly exposes the country’s problem. Uber avails itself of the loopholes, ineffective supervision and poor service, for example, in Istanbul’s transport system.

Customer Churn

With the sudden rise of Uber and the subsequent fierce competition, many countries start to rethink the widely used app and finally resort to boycotts. Uber’s offensive momentum in the global ride-hailing market not only touched the nerves of the government, but also ignited the taxi companies. Many taxi drivers, for the sake of personal interests, joined the opposition team to reject the intruder.

Taxi drivers hinder the transit along the main streets of San Jose, Costa Rica, on February 2, 2017, in protest against Uber. /VCG Photo

Taxi drivers in Paris, for instance, teamed up to attack and drive away drivers and vehicles hired by Uber around the Charles de Gaulle Airport on January 13, 2014. On February 2, 2017, taxi drivers in Costa Rica blocked the transit along the main streets of San Jose, in protest against Uber. The workers demanded the Supreme Court to declare Uber illegal.

The road ahead

In fact, private cars without operating licenses are bound to be banned by the traffic management department. This is also one of the main reasons that Uber and other taxi software companies have been questioned and even brought to court in overseas markets.

In dealing with the regulatory authorities and the taxi industry, ride service operators should gradually explore new ways to improve and standardize their service in a bid to avoid potential risks.