Daimler and BMW-backed Kapten rides into London with anti-Uber ad campaign

Kapten, the French ride-hailing app backed by Daimler and BMW, has today launched in London, coupled with a feisty ad campaign taking a swipe at Uber's tax arrangements. It follows Kapten (formerly called "Chauffeur Prive") obtaining a license from TfL, London's transport regulator, to operate its private-hire vehicle (PHV) service in the U.K. capital city. Specifically, Kapten's new billboard ad campaign calls out Uber for avoiding local sales tax: "Others avoid paying VAT in the UK - that’s not uber cool." In contrast, Kapten says it pay taxes locally in every market in which it operates.