Uber CEO: We’ll Create 50,000 Jobs in Europe This Year
Uber CEO: We’ll Create 50,000 Jobs in Europe This Year
1 minute read
In this photo illustration the smart phone taxi app Uber shows how to select a pick up location next to a taxi lane on Oct. 14, 2014 in Madrid, Spain.Pablo Blazquez Dominguez—Getty Images
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said Sunday that Uber plans to take 400,000 personal vehicles off the road and create 50,000 jobs in Europe this year.
Kalanick said during the Digital-Life-Design Conference kickoff, in Munich, Germany, that the rideshare service will eventually be cheaper to use than owning and driving a vehicle, Re/code reports. Kalanick added that this will be possible with “progressive regulation” in Europe that promotes regulation and safety as opposed to outright bans that prevent competition.
“We want to make 2015 the year where we establish a new partnership with [EU] cities. We want to promote core city functions through partnerships on data and technology,” Kalanick said. “By the end of 2015, if we make these partnerships happen, we’ll create 50,000 new EU jobs. We want to take 400,00 cars off EU roads in 2015.”
Kalanick also said his company will also continue to provide more jobs as its user base expands.
See Uber Protests From Around the World
French Taxi drivers burn tires as they protest in the southern city of Marseille on June 25, 2015 as they demonstrate against UberPOP, a popular taxi app that is facing fierce opposition from traditional cabs. Anne-Christine Poujoulat—AFP/Getty ImagesPolice officers in riot gear attempt to flip a car back onto it's wheels at Porte Maillot on June 25, 2015 in Paris. Protesters blocked roads to airports and train stations, overturning cars and setting tires on fire.Guillaume de Senneville—Demotix/CorbisHundreds of taxi drivers gather next to the Olympia Stadium to protest ride-sharing apps on June 11, 2014 in Berlin.Sean Gallup—Getty ImagesA demonstrator kicks a car, suspected of being a private taxi during a 24 hour taxi strike and protest in Madrid on June 11, 2014. Paul White—APA taxi driver listens to speeches by his colleagues, during an Europe-wide protest of licensed taxi drivers against taxi hailing apps that are feared to flush unregulated private drivers into the market, in front of the Olympic stadium in Berlin on June 11, 2014. Thomas Peter—ReutersTaxi drivers hold a banner during a protest in Barcelona on June 11, 2014. Josep Lago—AFP/Getty ImagesLondon taxi's line up on The Mall during a protest against a new smart phone app, 'Uber' on June 11, 2014 in London.Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesTaxi drivers park their cars and honk the horn in protest on Pennsylvania Avenue, bringing street traffic to a stop as they demand an end to ride sharing services such as Uber X and Lyft on June 25, 2014, in Washington.PAUL J. RICHARDS—AFP/Getty ImagesAn Italian taxi driver distributes leaflets reading "Don't take an illegal taxi, take a white regular taxi" during a protest on June 11, 2014 in Rome.ANDREAS SOLARO—AFP/Getty ImagesTaxis drivers block a highway outside Paris, near Roissy on June 11, 2014, as they take part in a demonstration to protest the growing number of minicabs, known in France as Voitures de Tourisme avec Chauffeurs (VTC). Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images
In the past, Uber has battled legal challenges in European countries, including Germany, Spain and France — in addition to cities and countries elsewhere around the globe–and faced criticism over alleged lack of safety and an anti-competitive nature.
