Uber has gone back in time in a publicity stunt protest over a a raft of new regulations in Australia.
Uber last month distributed emails allowing receivers to send emails voicing support for ride-sharing to parliament inboxes by clicking on a link.
The emails warned Katter’s Australian Party was trying to take Uber away and pressuring the government on a bill, which was ultimately passed, to increase fines for its drivers.
When they found out that the Government had been blocking their emails, Uber took it upon themselves to make sure that they got the message somehow.
The ride-sharing service distrubuted thousands of email print outs in Queensland Australia, using old fashioned horse and cart to transport the letters.
.@Uber delivers 15000+ letters from users to @AnnastaciaMP – the vehicle of choice: a horse & cart @7NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/PIZqWC67Q9
— Simon Love (@SimoLove) May 3, 2016
Speaking to Mashable, Uber Queensland’s General Manager Sam Bool said: “Recently, more than 15,000 people emailed members of parliament to voice their support for ridesharing.
Unfortunately, thousands of these emails were deliberately blocked by the parliament and were not received. To ensure the voices of those that want ridesharing in Queensland will still be heard, today we hand delivered these emails to the premier’s office.”
Queensland passed a number of laws cracking down on Uber, including increased fines for drivers.
The Uber printed emails included the address of every local MP, urging recipients to voice their support for the service.
It turns out a lot of people did it: according to Australian Labor MP Jim Pearce some MPs got between 6,000 and 10,000 emails.
“To ensure the voices of those that want ride-sharing in Queensland will still be heard, today we hand delivered these emails to the premier’s office,” Uber Queensland general manager Sam Bool said.
“We’ll be interested to see whether the people who wrote to their premier will receive a response in the mail or through updated, modern regulations that recognise their right to choose how they get around.”