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Updated at 4.45pm
THE BOSS OF ride-sharing service Uber says his company could create 50,000 jobs across Europe as part of a “new partnership” with cities.
But Travis Kalanick told a technology conference in Munich the change would only come if local authorities changed rules that were capping the growth of his service.
“We want to make 2015 the year where we establish a new partnership with new European cities,” he said.
“At the end of 2015, if we make these partnerships happen, we’ll create 50,000 new EU jobs.”
Kalanick also said expanding Uber in Europe could take 400,000 vehicles off the roads and ease traffic jams through more efficient use of peoples’ cars.
“If we can find a regulatory framework that makes this a reality, we can promise jobs and less congestion,” he said.
Hitting roadblocks
The company has run into roadblocks everywhere from Brussels to Madrid, as well as in several countries outside the region.
Taxi drivers have complained its services, which range from ride-sharing in private vehicles to making hire cars available as taxis, unfairly threaten their businesses.
Uber has also faced hurdles from city officials who complain it exposes passengers to unregulated drivers.
The company already faces potential legal action in the US over the alleged rape of an Indian woman by an Uber driver in New Delhi, while Kalanick has been indicted in South Korea on charges of running an illegal taxi service.
Recently it was criticised for its surge-pricing model which meant passengers in Sydney escaping the armed siege in the city’s CBD paid up to four times the usual cost of the trip.
Kalanick, whose company is valued at about $40 billion (€34.5 billion) on its latest fundraising round, agreed there was a need to look at better checks for its drivers and it was working with governments to come up with suitable rules.
In Ireland Uber has largely escaped controversy since launching in Dublin last year as it only offers rides in licensed taxis or private hire vehicles.
The controversial surge pricing is also outlawed under local rules which ban charging more than the metered fare, although the company has reportedly been offering cash incentives to drivers so its users don’t have to wait for taxis at peak times.
Kalanick said Uber had already created the equivalent of 35,000 full-time jobs across its biggest markets of San Francisco, New York, London and Paris.
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At least someone has a bit of foresight
What is foresight about it, they are charging through the nose for it? Supply, demand, return on investment, this is business not foresight.
John
They charge slightly higher than private rent however many in private rent must also pay for the 3 summer months and it more lees balances out.
That’s wrong, though. UCD can lease them out to non-students and still make money. Why charge more than the going rate? That would just eat up what students save on commuting.
6000 for a college year, 650 quid a month for a single room? Going rate? Me asre. It depends on your definition of ‘slightly’…. I’d call that significantly…..
If they charge more than the going rate, nobody will stay there, so they’ll have to lower their charges until they reach the going rate.
Not s bit if foresight here!! Galway and limerick have no shortage of accommodation! Never an issue!
Most of UCDs new student accommodation will be used by non EU students paying tens of thousands in fees!
So colleges are now into real estate?
Ye might look like they’re doing the right thing but charging extortionate rates that students can’t really afford is no solution to the problem.
The students are free to look for accommodation in the private rental market, if that is cheaper. Someone i doubt it will be cheaper.
UCD well known for extortionate fines for minor infactions and have gotten in bother over surveillance camera placement. If I was a student there college accommodation would be an absolute last resort
Some will be able to afford it which will make other properties vacant. They won’t sit there empty.
Fred. It’s great to see you sticking up for investors using the housing crisis to line their pockets. Following in the tradition of William Martin Murphy.
I’ve got some great memories from living in the shitty digs in Belgrove! Don’t need ‘world-class’ apartments, just something affordable, safe and warm!
You’re aware we’re in the middle of a housing crisis right?
Talk about finding the negative in everything…
Carl. and people will always find a way to take advantage of others misery, these places will be just a cash cow for investors. That’s the way it is here. Nothing to do with helping irish people but everything to do with fleecing them. Remember we don’t live in the rep of Ireland we live in Ireland Inc a great little place to do business in if your a vulture capitalist.
If it weren’t for the investors “taking advantage” they wouldn’t be getting built in the first place, leaving strain on the current rental market.
Making it profitable for people to build housing is exactly what will get us out of the housing crisis, not expecting people to just shell out their money to “help Irish people”. That’s not going to happen.
Not quite. Ireland has forgotten the basis of all social and civic housing. That is affordable housing provides a sustainable and cost effective labour force, creating affordable things and services people can buy. Currently this freemarket winner takes all which trickles down approach has failed as we are funding to our ’8 billion in interest’ cost… What we require is building for a strong social asset base, then the rest of the market is just icing on the cake for those who want to play with spare cash..
Actually it’s investors that got Ireland into the trouble were in originally or have you forgotton. So if private investors building houses is the panacea for the homeless and people struggling to pay huge mortgages and rent why isn’t it working? Is your plan more of the same. Your argument is seriously flawed but not only as a theory but equally in reality.
Many happy memories of Merville and Belgrove back in the day! Loved living on campus in UCD!
That will be perfect.we will jst send all our homeless back to college
3000 extra students , that’s an awful lot of riding. Set up a stall selling pot noodles and Johnies and you’ll take it in.
They opened new apartments costing over €8000 for 9 months. When will they build affordable accommodation??
Lorraine; one should go to WIT or the likes for that…
Lorraine> You are dead right. The colleges charge much more than the going rate for accomadation. They always have and make money off it.
Proposed 6000+ housed when complete = 50M Smackeroonies for accommodation ONLY , not too bad an investment by UCD
Pity these could ha e not been built years ago, recession building prices and kept a few hundred builders from signing on the dole,
This would pay for itself in 6-7 years at current rates per college year (not taking into account summer rental to tourists and forwign language students)
Cost per student €100,000 (sounds high). Income about €8,000 repairs and maintenance 20%, €1600 which leaves €6,400. Take 16years to pay it back. Summer rental might turn a mediocre investment into a good one
all well and good if ya got the space. UCD is full of lads from Mayo
Education is obviously a very profitable business.
So 300’000’000 euro for 3000 students
100’000 euro for accommodation per one student
Bogummilm they are not disposable apartments.
No it’s a fair point. They have 4 students sharing an apartment / kitchen area, so that’s 400k per apartment? What sort of luxury are we talking about here. And the land is already owned.
It pity the could not build higher even if was substituted by the government (Tax payers) on condition rent on private property would be caped and would be given 1st to none students and then to students who cant get on campus accommodation. A lot of campus would have the space for high rise and would make better use of the land they own. Where I live there is 5 tower blocks 20 stories high opposite us whether it sunny or cloudy day they don’t effect mine or neighbors lives or enjoyment. This would free up a lot of property.
300 million for 3000 rooms. That’s 100,000 per room. Well done to the developer a who wins this project.
Has planning permission been granted for 6 high rise apartment blocks on the Quays each with 100 apartments?
If not then why not?
More accommodation to house students who spend more time drinking than studying. What a joke college is. And what a joke building these are as well.
Damn right. What good has education ever done for us?
Maybe they will do a Stanford university on it.
I sincerely hope the students are good at math, and realise that there is €100,000 spent on each one of them
8000+ for 9 month
have your say