It’s probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that Airbnb and Uber have been major disruptors in the markets that they are involved in. The former has been making hotels worldwide uncomfortable, while the latter has caused quite a commotion with the taxi services of various nations. Both companies have been courting controversies as of late, ranging from taxi strike protests to bills attempting to make short-term rentals illegal, but it seems that 10 cities around the world may be banding together to set up a set of rules that would allow Airbnb and Uber to operate as per normal.
According to Bloomberg, mayors from the cities of New York, Paris, Seoul, Athens, Barcelona, Toronto, and more are beginning to produce a common framework in which Airbnb and Uber will operate in. Mayors from these cities have met for the first time last month in Amsterdam to discuss on the regulations that should impose on Airbnb and Uber, but as the discussions are still in its early stages, no policy has been drafted up just yet.
“Having the 20 or 30 biggest urban markets of the world all operating under entirely different rules doesn’t do much good for anyone. We want consumers and tourists to have some consistency, city to city,” says Wiley Norvell, spokesman for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s deputy for housing and economic development.
While Uber declined to comment on the matter, a spokesman for Airbnb has said via e-mail that the company would “welcome any chance to educate more cities about the benefits of home sharing and look forward to continuing to work with officials around the world.”
Source: Bloomberg