Dear Dominic,
there is some reason behind regulations that limit the capacity of the taxi business which does not mean that working conditions can exactly be called excellent where such regulations exist.
With Uber, there seems to be opening up a new era of cut-throat competition in this business. Are the bells and whistles of smartphone apps enough to make us forget about how capitalism works without some basic regulations in place?
There are reports about Uber drivers living in their cars with working hours that remind us of early capitalism workers.
To answer your question in Germany we do have the so-called AnrufSammelTaxi (AST) which are for the most of it organised by public transport providers. The reason behind it is that in rural areas and during off-peak hours normal buses are too big and/or frequency of service too low. Tours with AST's smaller sized vehicles can be booked via phone or smartphone.
Best wishes
Andreas
> Am 16.12.2016 um 15:35 schrieb Dominic Stead - BK <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> Dear list members
>
> Innovative urban transport and mobility services are not only being offered by public authorities and 'traditional' transport providers but increasingly by new enterprises, consumer groups and even individual consumers, often supported by new technologies for connecting consumers and providers.
>
> An experiment in Summit New Jersey is a case in point where, instead of sinking money in building more parking space in the proximity of its rail station, the city has started to offer parking permit holders a free Uber ride to and from their homes as a way of reducing the demand for long-term parking (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38252405). In this example, a public authority is moving beyond its 'traditional' role as an infrastructure provider by promoting and utilising the mobility services of a non-traditional transport provider in order to reduce the need for investment in additional parking infrastructure.
>
> This is one of the many examples of shifts taking place around the world where 'traditional' providers of urban transport and mobility infrastructure (such as public authorities and public transport companies) are utilising the services of new enterprises and new platforms in order to reduce the need for costly investments in new urban infrastructure, equipment and/or operating personnel. This is a trend something that I would like to try to catalogue. I would be pleased to receive examples from around the world and to share them with anyone interested in the topic.
>
> I look forward to receiving your examples. Please address all replies to Dominic Stead ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>).
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Dominic Stead
> http://about.me/dominicstead
> http://staff.tudelft.nl/en/D.Stead/
>
> New publications:
>
> Francesch, M.; Dabrowski, M.; Tai, Y.; Chan, F. & Stead, D. (2016). Governance challenges in flood-prone delta cities: Integrating flood risk and climate change in spatial planning. Progress in Planning 1-27, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.progress.2015.11.001.
>
> Kasraian, D; Maat, K.; Stead, D. & van Wee, B. (2016). Long-term Impacts of Transport Infrastructure Networks on Land-use Change: an International Review of Empirical Studies. Transport Reviews 36(6) 772-792, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2016.1168887.
>
> Pojani, D. & Stead, D. (2016). Visual Persuasion: Post-Rational Planning and the Role of Maps. Journal of Urban Design 21(3) 353-385, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2016.1167590.
>
> Stead, D. (2016). Identifying key research themes for sustainable urban mobility. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation 10(1) 1-8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2013.820993.
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> Stead, D. (2016). Key research themes on governance and sustainable urban mobility. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation 10(1) 40-48, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2013.821008.
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> Stead, D. (2016). The use of academic research in planning practice: who, what, where, when and how? Planning Theory & Practice 17(3) 453-457, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2016.1190491.
>
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