Uber crashes Portland

Uber started operation in Portland this week even though it lacked the permits and inspections that the city says are required for any taxi service, according to Geekwire.

The city has already conducted enforcement actions against Uber drivers and is certainly not happy with Uber doing business on its streets, the report says.

“We have told Uber and Lyft that they are welcome to offer ideas for regulatory changes,” City Commissioner Steve Novick said in a statement. “Uber has chosen instead to break the law.”

A blog post in the New York Times says:

In October, Uber began its service in Las Vegas, where it was deemed illegal; multiple drivers were cited within hours of the company’s debut there. Similar scenarios played out in Austin, Tex., Philadelphia and other cities around the country.
 But Uber’s move in Portland comes just days after it vowed in a blog post to become a ‘smarter and more humble company.’ Uber, which is now valued at more than $40 billion, is reeling from a string of recent embarrassments that have critics questioning its ethics. The company’s executives have been accused of taking a lax approach to customer privacy, among other criticisms.

Uber’s manager in Portland told the website, “I think launching is not an act of aggression on our part; it’s actually a hope to serve [driver and passenger] needs.”

The Geekwire post includes a Q&A with Brooke Steger, Uber's honcho in the city.