Uber travels to the countryside: the Austrian branch of the American taxi company is rolling out its app throughout Austria. Taxi companies are welcome, Austrian director Martin Essl said in Vienna on Wednesday. The app is currently being launched for Vorarlberg and Carinthia, as well as for Eisenstadt. St. Pölten will follow in the coming weeks. This means that Uber – ten years after its launch in Vienna – is represented in all states.
“We are looking for partnerships,” says Essl. This applies not only to larger cities – at least in Austria – but also to local district towns. Participating taxi companies charge 5 to 18 percent commission per ride. About Vorarlberg and Carinthia, Essl said that his company “sees great potential among residents of both states, but also among tourists.” In general, they want to expand the fleet of electric vehicles.
When asked, Essl said Uber taxes its profits properly in this country. The company does not provide information about profits or turnover. The mother to whom the royalties flow is based in Amsterdam. Essl emphasized that the approach is no different from that of Austrian companies operating abroad.
A survey Uber recently conducted among 2,000 domestic users of the app shows that people from 172 countries have used the Uber app in Austria. Currently, 4,000 to 5,000 drivers work for the taxi company.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
