uber

New Yorkers can pay for taxis via e-hailing apps within 60 days

NEW YORK--New Yorkers will be able to hail -- and pay -- for taxis via smartphone apps within 60 days, a New York Taxi & Limousine Commission executive said Wednesday.

Taxi-hailing apps help potential passengers locate a ride in real time. They simply put their location into an app, which is then sent to designated cars nearby. The first to arrive on the scene gets to pick up the customer. In many locations, users can also pay for their ride using the app, but New Yorkers currently have to pay for their ride in the traditional manner, either with cash … Read more

Uber taxi-hailing service returns to NYC streets, without payments

After an eight-month absence punctuated by legal battles, Uber taxi's service is returning to the streets of New York City.

Uber launched its taxi-hailing pilot program on Tuesday night, just days after a State Supreme Court judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to put a stop to the program. Passengers will be able to hail a cab with a smartphone app, but the app won't accept payments, at least initially.

"The way New Yorkers hail yellow cabs fundamentally transforms today, and we're proud that it's Uber who gave the Big Apple this option," Uber … Read more

Benchmark's Gurley: Uber is our fastest-growing company ever

NEW YORK -- Uber is growing pretty fast -- so fast that it may be Benchmark Capital's fastest-growing company ever, one of the VC firm's general partners said Monday.

Bill Gurley, speaking with TechCrunch's Michael Arrington at the blog's Disrupt conference here, said Uber, the taxi-booking service, is "probably the highest, fastest-growing company we've ever worked with," even more than eBay, an earlier Benchmark investment.

Uber is a taxi-hailing app that helps potential passengers locate a ride in real time. They simply put their location into an app, which is then sent to … Read more

NYC green-lights Uber cab service

New York officials gave Uber the green light Friday, making it the first taxi-hailing app to operate in the cab-filled city.

Taxi Commissioner David Yassky put out a statement today, announcing the approval of Uber and promising that other companies will get a piece of the action as well:

Thanks to the NYS Supreme Court's ruling this week, we will be able to see e-hail services made available to the riding public through a one-year pilot program that officially begins today. The first provider to be approved is Uber Technologies, Inc. There are several other companies in various stages … Read more

Judge gives taxi-hailing apps in NYC the go-ahead

The on-again, off-again scenario of whether to allow taxi-hailing apps to set up shop for a pilot program in New York City is back on again.

State Supreme Court Judge Carol Huff dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday that sought to halt the pilot program, which was filed by a group of mostly livery-car companies, according to the Associated Press. This means that startups like Uber, GetTaxi, and Hailo can now commence with e-hails.

The way the taxi-hailing apps work is by letting potential passengers put their location information into the app, which is then sent to yellow cabs. The first taxi … Read more

Uber to take on Lyft, Sidecar with ridesharing service

Uber announced today that it plans to start ridesharing services where other companies, like Lyft and Sidecar, have already tested the waters.

"We've basically really shied away from it because in most cities there are pretty stiff citations, as well as, the potential for a criminal misdemeanor," CEO Travis Kalanick said during a press conference call.

The company emphasized that this was only a policy change and that it has not yet set dates for when it will start rolling out these services. Uber operates in 30 cities and the new ridesharing service would be a cheaper … Read more

Uber clears up San Francisco taxi ownership concerns

Just to clear things up once and for all -- Uber does not own vehicles, the company merely connects you to those who do.

In a blog post yesterday, Uber's San Francisco community manager Matt Hearns addressed concerns that the private car hire startup had also moved into operating vehicles that the company connects to passengers looking for a ride.

Hearns says that although some taxis in San Francisco bear the brand "UBER TAXI" on their sides, users should be aware that these vehicles have "no relationship" to the Uber network or company. The community … Read more

More drivers come to UberX in San Francisco

Uber's UberX service, which uses hybrid cars and charges customers less for trips than in traditional cars, is getting a boost, the company has announced.

Uber will be partnering with more drivers in San Francisco through its UberX service, according to a company blog post yesterday. The hybrid cars meet California's requirements for driving, as well as Uber's screening tests to ensure they're fit to handle service, the company said.

UberX was unveiled in July as an invite-only service for San Francisco. At that time, the company said that it couldn't offer it to everyone … Read more

BlackJet, the Uber for private jets, takes off

SAN FRANCISCO--In an era of "Entourage" and a well-publicized fleet of planes personally owned by Google's top execs, the private jet has never before seemed as accessible to so many.

The truth is, of course, that just a tiny fraction of the population will ever set foot on any plane other than a commercial airliner, but traveling by Gulfstream has become romanticized in popular culture, and as that's happened, there's been a rise in the number of companies aiming to provide a more efficient, and more affordable way to fly private.

Into that new environment … Read more