Uber CEO Reaches Out to Europe with Job Promises

uberlondonCo-founder and CEO of controversial taxi-booking app Uber Travis Kalanick has backed down from his previously confrontational style to reach out to European cities, promising 50,000 new jobs this year in cities that are willing to help his firm operate.

His remarks, made at the DLD conference for media and tech leaders in Munich, mark a change in attitude from last year, when Uber remained defiant in the face of an increasing number of bans in cities and countries across the globe, including parts of France, Germany and Spain.

“We want to make 2015 the year where we establish a new partnership with EU cities,” said Kalanick. “At the end of 2015, if we can make these partnerships happen, we create 50,000 new EU jobs.”

Uber has faced considerable criticism for its aggressive business practices and for the way its taxi-booking and ride-sharing services have disrupted traditional taxi businesses. It has faced legal challenges in numerous countries due to the tightly regulated but often out-dated legislation surrounding taxis and car hire.

Kalanick has been an outspoken opponent of local government regulation in the past, claiming red tape and bureaucracy have protected the entrenched taxi industry to the detriment of consumers, blocking alternatives that offer better value for money.