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POPULAR WEB-BASED TAXI firm Uber went into damage control mode Monday, offering free rides to passengers fleeing an armed siege in Sydney after earlier hiking prices upwards of Aus$100 (€66).
The company said it would also refund fares after initially implementing “surge pricing”, which increases rates during peak demand, for passengers exiting Sydney’s central business district as police surrounded a cafe where a gunman was holding hostages.
Online news website Mashable earlier reported that in the immediate aftermath of the Sydney siege, Uber began charging passengers four times regular fares with a minimum charge of Aus$100 to leave the area.
Citing Uber customers in the area, it said that a trip from the central business district to the airport, a journey that normally costs around Aus$60 (€39), would cost up to Aus$185 (€122) as a result of surge pricing.
Immediately following the news, Uber tweeted that fares “have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.”
Replies to the tweet, however, were almost uniformly negative.
The company later issued a statement saying it “will be providing free rides out of the CBD to help Sydneysiders get home safely” and that it was “in the process of refunding rides“.
Uber defends surge pricing and argues it effectively matches supply with demand by encouraging drivers to move to areas where there are shortfalls.
It has, however, had to concede to cap its surge pricing throughout the United States during national emergencies after reaching an agreement with regulators.
The controversy was the latest in a string of bad press for the company.
It is battling lawsuits in several countries for unfair competition and rising anger over drivers who are not properly vetted.
New Delhi last week banned Uber from operating in the Indian capital after a passenger accused one of its drivers of rape.
Thailand, the Netherlands and Spain have ruled it illegal and Denmark and Norway have filed complaints against the company. Brussels also announced Friday it plans to file a complaint.
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Why are they complaining. They’ll have new customers.
Btw the journo has copy and pasted some paragraphs in the article twice and the editor is obviously useless coz didn’t spot it
@Mattress Dick: it wasn’t just the pub that objected, it’s in an awkward spot and WAY too big to replace the existing small house as well as other issues with the location
@EillieEs: it’s on the outskirts of the city center, what would you like built on that derelict site?
Bungalows or cottages maybe?
@Liam Ó hAodha: Its in Phibsboro hardly the outskirts of the city
@Gary Kearney: read my comment again Gary but this time slowly.
I said the outskirts of the “City CENTER” not city
@Liam Ó hAodha: unlike yourself who thinks there’s space on this tiny site for this apartment block I know EXACTLY where it is hence my comment. There were a number of reasons the original application was denied which don’t seem to have been addressed.
@EillieEs: why do you need to replace like for like size? If that was the case there’d only be cottages across the “city”.
It’s very simple, the apartments should be allowed to be built on the strict understanding that the existing character of the immediate area is a lively and busy one, that anyone moving in is aware of this and that therefore any noise complaints etc would be null and void.
@Patrick FitzGerald:
Once the snooker balls don’t rattle in the adjoining club between midnight and 8 am, noise pollution in those new apartment units shouldn’t be a problem.
Congratulations to the Entrepreneur behind this development for his tenacity in achieving a result after working well with DCC on design changes, following earlier objections. 9 more new apartments coming on the market within walking distance of City Centre is to be welcomed.
@Patrick FitzGerald: I do believe it’s was something about it over looking a large smoking area, car access to complex was in a dangerous place, extractor fans from the pubs kitchen is in the direction of the apartments bedroom windows, ground access to the apartments was located in exact place were they keep their bins and another business Pie man on the other side of the new site had the same exact issues.
Don’t think it was a stoppage by the pub but more of a warning message or a hint “are you really sure you wanna do this?” Maybe you should change you plans?
They objected because of the negative effect it would have on the wildlife of Phibsboro?
badgers are okay with 3 stories are they?
Good, need to build homes. Five stories is hardly that much plus it’s better than the vacant, rubbish strewn site that is there now
Vulture??
@Ciaran Dixon: a large scavenging bird of prey.
@Ciaran Dixon: Is a vulture fund not when existing properties are bought up? This is a new development
@Shaner Mac: a vulture fund buy property at a knock down price and may include development. Like a person buying items in a closing down sale.
@Ciaran Dixon: doesn’t appear to be
https://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/P-Rooney-Roofing-Limited-488694
What type of architect conceives that?? The height is fine, but ouch it’s rough!!
@Emer Caffrey: modern building technology and maximising profit for the site. It is actually no different to what the Georgian designs involved and people hated that too at the time. I find fake and modern takes on old styles worse more often than not
@Craic_a_tower: Wrong so wrong and go and visit a Georgian house and maybe you would understand
Greed
T|he building is in the wrong place, is too big does not fit the area and is a simple matter of greed
Hmm,I wonder how this would have panned out on the southside.The northsiders need to suck it up, like it or not. Can never complain cause then we are all against developement. Always been told there’s a crisis and we need to pick up the slack and don’t moan cause we need to fix housing. Being told yous are getting a massive shitter and possibly ruin your blue beaches, ballymun flats, x storey apartment, drug clinics, meth clinics, homeless shelters but god forbid affordable housing development would be built in Ballsbridge or the likes. Or that anyone would question why not. Maria and Leo wouldnt like that. Michael D would need to give up the grounds..but if a pub owner have points the world turns on him.
have your say