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Taxis

October

Elon Musk at the robotaxi event “We, Robot”.

Why Elon Musk’s robotaxis will have to share the road – or disappear

The day after Tesla revealed its driverless Cybercab, the company’s stock dropped 9 per cent. Seismic shifts in transportation happen slowly.

  • Tim Rossanis

July

Uber is changing how it calculates prices, enraging the transport union but relieving customers.

Uber cuts prices – but also pay rates for drivers

The company is expected to pull prices back by up to 5 per cent despite rising costs of insurance and fuel.

  • Nick Bonyhady

April

Ola told drivers on Tuesday night that it was ceasing operations in several Australian cities.

Uber’s dominance in Australia intensifies as Ola exits

Corporate records show Ola’s Indian parent company spent $142 million on its Australian outpost.

  • Nick Bonyhady
GoCatch founders Andrew Campbell and Ned Moorfield pictured in 2013, before they allegedly fell out over the company’s direction.

GoCatch was shedding passengers before UberX arrived, court told

Ned Moorfield, the co-founder of failed start-up GoCatch, has been grilled under cross-examination during the second week of a damages case against Uber.

  • Gus McCubbing
GoCatch co-founder Andrew Campbell arrives at Court on the first day of the trial on Tuesday.

Uber and GoCatch stagger out for round two of court case

Nobody expected a clean fight when GoCatch called out Uber for huge damages, but startling details in the first week of the trial have left both sides wounded.

  • Paul Smith
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GoCatch founders Andrew Campbell and Ned Moorfield pictured in 2013, before they allegedly fell out over the company’s direction.

Founder fights and investor fury exposed as Uber makes its case

Investors in fallen transport app GoCatch were alarmed by its lack of progress and wanted to sack its co-founders around the time UberX launched in Australia, private emails show.

  • Paul Smith
Uber’s barrister has begun its defence against accusations it deliberately set out to harm GoCatch.

‘Not honourable, but lawful’: Uber justifies using spyware on rival

Uber’s lawyers said taking private data from its rival GoCatch was not like burglary, and compared its lawbreaking to publishers selling Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

  • Paul Smith

Uber admits to illegal activity at launch in Australia

A Melbourne trial to judge if Uber unfairly scuttled a rival’s business has begun with the ridesharing giant admitting it operated illegally in Australia a decade ago.

  • Paul Smith
Well before the ridesharing giant dominated, it had a big local rival. This week, Victorian courts will hear explosive claims of how it killed the competition.

Uber’s ‘espionage plot’ to ‘crush’ Packer-backed rival GoCatch

Well before the ride-sharing giant dominated, it had a big local rival. This week, Victorian courts will hear explosive claims of how it killed the competition.

  • Paul Smith

March

Uber operated illegally in Australia for years to crack the market. Now it has reached a settlement with some taxi drivers.

Uber pays Aussie taxi drivers $272m in class action settlement

Lawyers behind one of the top five class actions in Australian legal history say the US giant will pay compensation for initially operating illegally.

  • Paul Smith

February

13-UBER is new way to book an UBER.

Uber launches phone hotline to book a ride

Uber has plans to launch a phone-booking ride service in what its top Australian executive acknowledges is “a bit of a back-to-the-future moment”.

  • Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson

May 2023

The Tax Office is using data matching to collect and compare financial information such as bank account details and gross fares with its own records.

ATO chasing $40m from taxi, ride-share drivers

Transport Workers Union secretary Michael Kaine accused the ATO of having “warped priorities”.

  • Georgie Moore

July 2022

Uber initially threatened to revolutionise the taxi industry, but the traditional players have improved and the disruptor’s services have declined.

Uber files, Netflix ads highlight short window of disruption delight

The early promise of tech disruptors to revolutionise the customer experience seems to fade as incumbents fight back and economic reality sets in.

  • Paul Smith

June 2022

13cabs says there are more Uber users returning to taxis now.

Uber drivers stay home and suffer as petrol prices bite

Uber drivers are earning less money now than three years ago, as petrol prices force them off the road, and the taxi industry spies a chance for a resurgence.

  • Yolanda Redrup

February 2022

Andrew Skelton will exit as CEO of A2B Ltd.

13cabs operator A2B pushes out CEO

Andrew Skelton is out the door after seven years running A2B, a strategic review is underway and Sandon Capital now holds 10.2pc.

  • Simon Evans
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November 2021

A2B is facing a showdown with unhappy investors at its AGM.

A2B unveils property deal ahead of AGM showdown

Will a $57 million property swap be enough to prevent two of A2B’s biggest shareholders voting against chairman Paul Oneile? 

  • Updated
  • James Thomson
Taxi companies are among transport providers signed up to the Placie app.

Carsales’ Placie wants to disrupt transport industry

Ride-share and taxi aggregation app Placie is seeking to become a one-stop shop for all consumer travel needs.

  • Miranda Ward

September 2021

Andrew Skelton

13cabs operator takes a greener route to growth

The boss of A2B Ltd has outlined a growth strategy and expects the economy to ‘pop’ later this year when the lockdowns end.

  • Simon Evans

August 2021

The company that oversees the 13cabs network says about a third of cabbies have opted to “park” their vehicles in lockdowns, but plenty are helping out with online grocery deliveries.

Cabbies offset hit by joining Woolworths delivery army

The boss of the company which operates 13cabs estimates a third of cabbies are now off the road as lockdowns bite.

  • Simon Evans

June 2020

Uber's Australian boss says passenger numbers have picked up steadily in the past few weeks as government restrictions are eased.

Uber wants you to go back to the office. Here's why

Uber trips are a bellwether for how busy the economy is, and the Australian boss says passenger numbers are steadily rising again after a big COVID-19 drop.

  • Simon Evans

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/taxis-jau