Dara Khosrowshahi now relies on bicycles: Uber boss explains why his company has failed in Germany

06/06/2018

Dara Khosrowshahi now relies on bicycles Uber boss explains why his company has failed in Germany

REUTERS

Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi

Uber makes it one size smaller in Germany in the future: The aggressive car broker wants to bring his freshly bought electric bikes soon in Berlin on the streets. Jump’s orange e-bikes will be available in the capital by the end of the summer, announced Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi on Wednesday in Berlin. Uber had taken over the start-up jump in early April. It is part of Khosrowshahi’s new strategy to increase other means of transport than to convey cars via the platform.

As another innovation wants About after a test run in Munich also in Berlin mediate journeys with electric vehicles. The UberGreen service was initially tested in Munich over the past three months with around 30 cars. There the service is expanded with more electric cars.

Turning to the past, Khosrowshahi showed remorse and humility: He sees the absolute pursuit of growth as the cause of the problems facing the US corporation. This has meant that Uber wanted to grow “at all costs,” said the former Expedia boss on Tuesday at an event of the Axel Springer Group.

When restarting in Germany Khosrowshahi wants to avoid mistakes of the past. “We had a very bad start in Germany and we are here to implement a new approach,” Khosrowshahi said on Tuesday evening in Berlin. The car-broker wants to start talks with representatives of individual cities and federal states about cooperations soon.

Ultimately, Uber had developed from a company that everyone had respected and wanted to use to the company with the problems everyone has heard of. Details did not mention the 49-year-old. Uber had landed under Khosrowshahi’s predecessor Travis Kalanick among other things because of aggressive expansion policies, sexual harassment and a data scandal in the headlines.

In Germany, taxi centers from several major cities have sued the offer for private drivers because the drivers and Uber have no permission to carry passengers. “We had a very bad start in Germany,” Khosrowshahi said.

Now it’s about building the business “right”. The Uber leader, who has Iranian roots, also brought a cooperation with public transport operators into play. These would have to be easier to use and more available. Ultimately Uber’s goal is: “We want to become the Amazon of transport.”

nis / RTR / dpa

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