Uber Arrives to Mixed Fanfare in Romania

Joy and dismay greeted the arrival on Wednesday in Romania of the increasingly popular car-sharing service UberX, which aims to provide alternative and cheap transportation services.

UberX, a smartphone application that connects passengers to car drivers willing to provide transport services for a small fee, was launched in Bucharest.

The smartphone application connects riders with drivers on the platform looking to share the costs of their cars.

Many people, especially young one, welcomed the news. "There are many advantages to Uber. First, the app shows you where the nearest driver is, allowing you to request your pickup when it's convenient for you. And, unlike many taxi services I've tried, they notify you when your car has arrived. So, welcome Uber," Radu Vornicu, a lawyer, said.

Uber's starting rates are similar to those of most taxi companies in Bucharest. Users will pay a 1.39 lei (0.30 euro) base fare and then 1.39 lei per kilometre. The app charges 0.23 lei per minute for stationing, the same as regular taxis. The minimum fare is 6 lei, the same as the cancellation fee.

While potential users are happy, professional taxi firms and other transport operators have protested against Uber's arrival. "The launch of the programme creates disloyal competition on the market," Mihai Ghisa, president of the Transporters Association, APTI, said.

Ghisa added that Uber had entered the market in the absence of regulations for ridesharing programmes and would add to the large number of vehicles clogging city traffic.

Uber has become popular in many Western countries, where prices for taxi rides are high. However, it remains to be seen if the app will be as successful in Romania, where taxi rates are lower, but where services...