Uber is an application that connects passengers with drivers who have a contract with Uber. To order a vehicle it is necessary to own a smartphone and to register within the mobile application by entering your name, e-mail address, a cell phone number and a credit card number that is to be billed automatically at the end of the ride. Global positioning system in the smartphone is used to determine the location so the passenger does not have to know the exact pickup address. The ride order appears on the nearest driver's smartphone application and he/she can accept or reject the ride. Uber is controversial because of its UberPop service that connects passengers with unlicensed drivers, people that own a four-door car and a smartphone, and have passed a background and employment history check. Due to this service, some countries have changed laws regarding transport services. Uber's position in these cases is constant because they are officially not a transport company, but they are a technology company. In 2014 Uber introduced its UberPool service in San Francisco that allows sharing a ride with a stranger who intends to ride along the same route. The savings when joining that type of service can reach up to 40%. Uber started in Zagreb on 21 October 2015, offering fares about 15% lower than the conventional taxi service who greeted their arrival negatively. Taxi service in Zagreb was regulated until 2010 when a partial deregulation was conducted, allowing new companies to enter the market, the biggest and most successful being Taxi Cammeo and Eko Taxi. The purpose and goal of this paper will be research of demand for Uber service in Zagreb, to make a price comparison with major taxi companies and to explore the possibilities for improving the legislation regarding the area of taxi service.

taxi; uber; transport service; smartphone application; Zagreb