Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion

Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by loeg on Wednesday June 01, 2016 @11:48PM (#11820233)

Yes, like a taxi. The primary benefits Uber has over traditional Taxis are 1. price; 2. they have an app, and it works well; 3. drivers arrive in vaguely predictable times that are less than 45 minutes; and 4. it doesn't discriminate as badly as cabbies.

> Uber will never come close to moving the sheer numbers that public transit does. You can't do it, not enough road to fit all those cars. Especially in downtown cores.

I never suggested anything of the sort. Especially not at commute hours.

> So Uber competes with public transit as much as taxis compete with public transit.

I think we agree. I just noted that if Uber prices rose, some Uber users would prefer to use public transit rather than pay higher Uber prices or Taxi prices.

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by kuschku on Thursday June 02, 2016 @03:34AM (#11820933)

The only thing uber has over most taxis in Germany is that they’re cheaper. And that they don’t have proper insurance.

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by gaius on Thursday June 02, 2016 @03:13AM (#11820872)

2-4 apply to every taxi firm these days too

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by estefan on Thursday June 02, 2016 @11:57AM (#11823552)

I wasn't sure if it was just me, but in that case what makes Uber so valuable? Are they banking on putting all the taxi companies out of business and then monopolising the market?

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by driverdan on Thursday June 02, 2016 @08:21AM (#11821885)

Not in the US. Taxi companies in US cities are terrible.

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by TeMPOraL on Thursday June 02, 2016 @10:09AM (#11822543)

A great marketing win for Uber here. It became known worldwide as an "innovative technology company" even though outside US, it's only innovation is funneling SV money to lawyers so that they can maintain their illegal business practices while they conquer the local markets. E.g. in Europe we've already had all the other "innovative" stuff. But people don't notice it, instead naively buying the "Uber = innovation" marketing.

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by scarmig on Thursday June 02, 2016 @11:47AM (#11823440)

The funny thing here is that a couple cab companies have done seemingly irreparable damage to the worldwide taxi industry, merely by virtue of being based in San Francisco and allowing drivers to regularly flake or refuse service to slightly less profitable areas.

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Re:Uber Turns to Saudi Arabia for $3.5B Cash Infusion by gaius on Thursday June 02, 2016 @10:13AM (#11822579)

Interesting. In my mid-sized town, the local, independent taxi firm has all of them. The app, text messaging when you book, when the driver is on his way, when he's at your front door along with the make, colour and license plate of the car, etc etc.

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