What about legitimate regulations that Uber skirts by drawing semantic distinctions? When an Uber driver refuses to make accommodations for riders with disabilities (as required by law in the US), Uber says, "sorry, not our driver -- we only serve as an intermediary." When Uber argues their drivers who meet the criteria of full time employees are just contractors to avoid all the complexities that entails, they are breaking the law (regardless of what the law "should be").
Uber riders (myself among them) are enjoying low fares paid for in an investor-fueled land-grab to capture some market share. The only question is whether their heavy-handed tactics will result in adequate market share to maintain the business profitably without incurring regulatory or consumer blowback. I would say so far that the answer is "yes".
I think there is a sustainable business model for Uber, but I don't think that Uber-in-5-years is going to be playing the same games that they're playing today.
Uber riders (myself among them) are enjoying low fares paid for in an investor-fueled land-grab to capture some market share. The only question is whether their heavy-handed tactics will result in adequate market share to maintain the business profitably without incurring regulatory or consumer blowback. I would say so far that the answer is "yes".
I think there is a sustainable business model for Uber, but I don't think that Uber-in-5-years is going to be playing the same games that they're playing today.