Sharing economy goes global

An Indian taxi driver sits in his vehicle as he waits for passengers in Kolkata. From London and Paris to New Delhi and Sao Paolo, traditional taxi drivers united worldwide against Uber in 2015, a year that saw riots, legal battles and even a kidnapping in protest against the startup. — AFP

IT IS a new dawn for transport, lodging – and pretty much every service under the sun – and it’s all about “sharing”.

The so-called sharing economy gained traction across the globe in 2015 as Uber upended the taxi business, Airbnb disrupted the hotel sector and a host of online and mobile startups let people moonlight as chefs or handymen.