Uber Says It Can Create 50K Jobs, Take 400K Cars Off The Road

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said he wants to expand operations in Europe, creating 50,000 jobs there and taking 400,000 personal vehicles off the road, according to Re/code.

At the DLD Conference in Munich on Sunday (Jan. 18), Kalanick also said the ride-sharing service isn’t opposed to regulation, but wants “progressive regulation” that promotes safe and affordable rides and generates tax revenue without limiting competition. “We want to make 2015 the year where we establish a new partnership with [European Union] cities,” Kalanick said.

Cities in Europe and around the world have accused Uber of violating both existing regulations and new laws. The company was hit with a cease-and-desist order in Madrid, a shutdown order in Bangkok, a ban on unlicensed taxi drivers in Beijing, and an outright ban in Delhi. In the U.S., South Carolina ordered Uber to halt operations, and both California and New York City have taken legal action after Uber refused to provide trip data that it promised when it was licensed in those locales.

Kalanick said antiquated laws around the globe are preventing safe, affordable rides. He highlighted a few particularly egregious statutes, such as one in South Korea that allows foreigners only to take a chauffeured car. “If you are a Korean, it is illegal for you to have a nice ride that you paid a fair price for,” he said.

Instead, Kalanick argued in favor of more modern regulations that still promote safety, competition and tax revenue.

He also said that 1.6 million people have taken an Uber in its four-and-a-half years of operation, creating the equivalent of 7,500 full-time jobs. In New York, the company has served 1.9 million riders in three years and created the equivalent of 13,750 jobs. In London, there have been more than 900,000 riders and the creation of the equivalent of 7,800 jobs.

Kalanick said that the company can now meet with cities and promise to create the equivalent of 10,000 jobs in four years. “We’re starting to hit that inflection point,” he said.