Uber Hungary launches petition against government measures

History

The Hungarian branch of U.S.-based ride-sharing service Uber launched a petition asking users to sign in support of the application. The move follows a bill proposal submitted by the Hungarian government yesterday to Parliament that could completely halt the app in the country.

In an email sent to users, Uber stressed that 150,000 Hungarians use their services, with approximately 1,200 local people serving as drivers, and receiving “new flexible economic possibilities”.

“The loudest are those who are afraid of losing their undeserved privilege: they are afraid of losing gypsy rides, hacked taximeters, and the opportunity to rip off tourists”, the email reads. Uber most probably makes a reference to Hungarian taxi drivers who have demonstrated against the companyʼs operations in Budapest half a dozen times this year alone.

The Taxi driverʼs demonstrations were designed to pressure the Hungarian government to increase scrutiny and take serious legal action against Uber.

SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL

Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.

Support the BBJ

Culture