Uber Taxi wars

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Uber Technologies will re-start its ride-hailing business in Finland on Wednesday after a one-year pause, it said, seeking to benefit from the country’s transport law reform.

The U.S. company has come under pressure from traditional taxi drivers and regulators across Europe, who accuse it of unfair competition and skirting traditional licensing rules.

In Finland, Uber was deemed legal provided its drivers held valid taxi licences, but the company has been the target of police investigations and drivers have been ordered to give up their earnings to the state for not having valid permits.

An overhaul of transport legislation came into force on July 1, removing a cap on the number of taxies licences the government issues in a year and fare restrictions, while creating a legal framework for apps such as Uber. Read more

Ride-hail drivers can run up against a bunch of obstacles when out on the road. They might have questions about a ride they gave, they might need maintenance for their car and they usually have to take a break to get something to eat and go to the bathroom.

Lyft is hoping it can help its drivers with some of these issues. The company said Wednesday it's investing $100 million to build roughly 30 driver support centers across the US. At these centers, drivers can get oil changes at a "heavy discount," have help with their taxes and talk to Lyft's support team in person, among other perks.