It was the inability to hail a taxi in Paris while in the pouring rain that ignited Garrett Camp, the Canadian co-founder of Uber, to revolutionize the taxi industry. In 2010, Uber began as UberCab in San Francisco, eventually entering Canada in 2012. Uber is a ride-sharing app that connects a person looking for a ride with a driver. This service is currently valuated at $70 billion U.S., yet it is still not profitable globally. Uber has entered many cities like a "bull in a china shop", enraging the taxi industry or "cartel" as Uber characterizes them. As with many ethical cases, the truth probably lies somewhere in between the two extremes. The taxi industry in Canada consists of approximately 30,000 taxis and the introduction of an innovative technology such as Uber, disrupts the existing industry. Those who oppose Uber insist that it is taking advantage of regulatory grey areas or loopholes and relying on weak enforcement of the laws. Uber's competitive advantage lies in the fact that it has little overhead, which allows cheaper rates for the customer. Uber has been accused of trying to dishonestly recruit drivers from other companies, conducting insufficient background checks of it drivers, lack of safety of passengers, unreasonable 'surge' pricing policies. Supporters of Uber believe that the taxi laws are in place simply to protect taxi drivers and to ensure that their income is kept as high as possible. The coexistence of Uber with the existing industry will be a long, painful process requiring appropriate regulatory changes. It some ways, Uber has become mainstream-partnerships with Air Miles for first time riders, with Loblaw to offer rides to customers ordering through Loblaw's click and collect program, and with Roots to collect second-hand clothing for delivery to Goodwill. In another context, Uber is represented as an unregulated, unmonitored, unregistered, danger to society that is taking jobs away from hardworking taxi drivers in each city that they enter. One strategy undertaken to improve the image of Uber to its customers is the Uber Safe program. Wireless kiosks were set up in downtown areas, armed with breathalyzers. If a person blew over the legal limit, an Uber driver was dispatched to the location to offer the customer a free ride home. With a focus on customer experience, Uber operates in 483 cities in more than 60 countries. With a 93% customer satisfaction rate, taxis, cities, and Uber may just need to learn to get along Questions 1. What are the ethical considerations around Uber? Explain with clarity. 2. Do you think that Uber will ultimately win? Why yes or why not. Explain.