In the last month, taxi drivers around the world have shut down city streets to protest against competition from Uber.* Traffic in major European cities ground to a halt last week. This followed in the wake of a similar demonstration in Boston last month. The taxi drivers’ objections are as predictable as they are unfounded: … ...
The government’s protection of the taxi cartel has always been reprehensible. State and local governments bar entry into this industry in order to drive up prices and protect existing taxi companies from competition. As a consequence, entrepreneurs, particularly immigrant entrepreneurs, are denied their right to earn a living and pursue their ...
I was recently interviewed on the Power and Market Report about Uber, Lyft, VRBO and other innovations which are providing consumers with excellent new services. Naturally the old regime is not pleased, and has taken to lobbying state legislatures to step in and ban the competition. I discuss PLF’s efforts to fight anti-competitive laws w ...
Today I testified to the Montana Legislature’s House Transportation Committee about the unconstitutionality of their Competitor’s Veto law—the same law we challenged in court yesterday. The Committee is considering amending that law and eliminating the Competitor’s Veto for the taxi industry. However, those amendments d ...
Today we asked a Federal court not to throw out our case challenging Montana’s Competitor’s Veto law. Our client, Tracie Pabst, has owned shuttle companies in Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, and Texas, and has provided service to over 170,000 passengers without a single accident or moving violation. Now she wants to open a taxi ...
This morning I joined Armstrong & Getty to talk about Competitor’s Veto laws and two recent California cases involving Uber that show how overregulation of the economy stifles entrepreneurship and innovation. If you missed it, you can listen online here. … ...
A recent article details the unsuccessful attempt to shut Uber out of Nevada. The piece contains interesting tid-bits about the bullying and scandal that plagued Uber’s fight, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Though it focuses on the particular plight of Uber, anti-competitive tactics have long been used in Nevada to shut out new ...
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promised in his State of the City address this past April that Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies would be allowed to pick up passengers at LAX by the summer. This promise drew thunderous applause from the audience. It’s now October…and passengers still cannot use these services. Unsurprisingly, ...