12-09-2015, 05:46 PM
The taxi industry is going to lose unless they adapt their business model to compete with Uber's.
Recall that when Chapters/Indigo opened their big box stores the small independent book sellers were threatened. Those who didn't adapt, perished. Those who found viable niches have not only survived by arguably are prospering. But it gets more interesting. Remember when Amazon began to compete with Chapters? Chapters complained to the government that Amazon was selling US-printed editions of books that violated Canadian regulations. That fell mostly on deaf ears. So Chapters had no alternative but to adapt. They survive today, albeit with fewer stores than in the heydays.
There are multiple lessons there for the taxi industry. The most important one is that if they depend on the government to protect them they'll still be holding demonstrations at Queen's Park a decade from now.
Recall that when Chapters/Indigo opened their big box stores the small independent book sellers were threatened. Those who didn't adapt, perished. Those who found viable niches have not only survived by arguably are prospering. But it gets more interesting. Remember when Amazon began to compete with Chapters? Chapters complained to the government that Amazon was selling US-printed editions of books that violated Canadian regulations. That fell mostly on deaf ears. So Chapters had no alternative but to adapt. They survive today, albeit with fewer stores than in the heydays.
There are multiple lessons there for the taxi industry. The most important one is that if they depend on the government to protect them they'll still be holding demonstrations at Queen's Park a decade from now.