Taxi Driver Online

There are a couple of old threads related to this, I think, from maybe five or more years ago

But can't be bothered wading through all the old stuff to work out precisely what's going on...

But, I mean, thought this would be a pretty bog standard explanation about cross-border working, but...


Uber explains why its taxis can still operate in Swindon

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/new ... e-swindon/

Uber has responded to concerns its taxi drivers are flouting licensing rules in Swindon.

Taxi operators and drivers require licences to trade for private hire and hackney carriages in the town.

The well-known private hire cab and food delivery firm did hold one of these in Swindon until 2018 - but did not renew it.

Despite this, it has frequently been possible to book an Uber to take passengers from somewhere in the town to another location.

Uber has responded to say that all of its drivers are licenced and it is operating within the rules.

The matter was first raised when Cllr Jim Robbins booked an Uber to pick him up from the council offices during a scrutiny meeting discussed the matter in 2019.

And more recently, former councillor Vinay Manro has spotted more occasions Ubers have been available.

He shared screenshots from the App showing that it was possible to book an Uber to and from a location in Swindon on April 13, April 15 and April 16 of this year.


Image: Swindon Advertiser

He said: "As former chair of Swindon council licensing I'm aware of the excellent work they carried out to stop unlicensed drivers operating, but Uber appears to have started up again. At the time of writing an Uber is 12 minutes away. We must do more to ensure the safety of passengers.

"Uber may well have their own vetting process but that does not negate the requirement to hold a licence in the relevant authorities they operate in."

A spokesperson for the council clarified that Uber does not have an operator's licence within the Swindon borough, but there are some circumstances that an Uber could operate in the town.

"An operator in Swindon can ‘sub-contract’ work to an operator in another authority’s area – such as Uber, allowing them to pick up a booking in Swindon," they said.

"For example, you book a taxi through Swoop or Veezu and an Uber turns up.

"This should account for a very few bookings through an operator though."

They added: "If there is a specific concern then if we are provided the details of the vehicle plate, date, time and location, we can then contact Uber about the vehicle.

"Whilst Uber can operate in our area through sub-contracting, we wouldn’t expect them to be dominating the existing private hire fleet, without an operator's licence."

An Uber spokesperson said: "Uber operates according to the high standards set across the industry and abides by the same regulations as all other private hire operators.

"Private hire drivers licensed in England and Wales can legally pick up and drop off passengers anywhere as long as the trip is pre-booked and the driver, vehicle, and operator all have all been issued licences by the same licensing authority.

"Every driver who uses our app has been licensed by a local council."

You can book a 'taxi' via Veezu and an Uber rolls up?

Could be wrong, but I doubt it, somehow


The make it sound like it's all about frequency and the like. But obviously that's nonsense. It's either legal or it isn't - it doesn't matter how often it happens


Again, what has 'dominance' or otherwise got to do with it? It's either legal or it isn't.

And, of course, the council's stuff about sub-contracting misses the point spectacularly, correct me if I'm wrong - as Uber themselves say in the final paragraph, as long as the triple-lock is in place they can pick up and drop anywhere, never mind the sub-contracting malarkey

However we all know that some, if not all UBER drivers who chose to work in an area where they are not licensed also hand out their own cards and phone numbers and accept bookings themselves or pick up off the street and none of those jobs are through UBER.

_________________
Grandad,

The booking times shown indicate to me that not many Uber vehicles work in Swindon, and those showing are ones merely traveling through.

It is a shame that ex-chairs of licensing are unaware of taxi licensing laws, but he is not alone.

_________________
IDFIMH

I'd forgotten about this one, but seems they're back in town anyway

But like the council talking nonsense as per the title of this thread, maybe the author of this piece should stick to the basics...


Uber in Swindon: Cheaper rides but taxi firms fume over decision

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/new ... e-swindon/

UBER is back on Swindon’s streets after being granted an official licence — and not everyone has been celebrating.

Passengers have largely praised its return due to fast pick‑ups and low fares.

But local taxi drivers warn the council’s decision to quietly bring the firm back to the town threatens their livelihoods and could hit long‑established firms hard.

On Friday, March 27, Swindon Borough Council confirmed that Uber now has a Private Hire Operator Licence in Swindon, which was officially issued last year.

Uber had held a licence in Swindon until 2018 – but did not renew it.

Despite this, it was possible to book an Uber from somewhere in town to another location, due to other Swindon taxi services subcontracting work to them.

Despite previous coverage on the issue of Uber's presence in the town, it was not officially announced by the council that it was allowed to operate fully once more.

But investigations by Adver showed that vehicles could be hired within two minutes on a consistent basis within recent weeks.

Fares for hiring the private vehicles cost between £5 and £6 for short journeys for a 'standard' vehicle, ordered through an app on your smart phone.

The cost varied depending on the type of taxi ordered, with UberXL costing between £7 and £13 depending on time, Wait & Save costing between £5 and £7, Comfort costing between £5 and £8, Exec costing between £8 and £14, Assist between £5 and £7, and Priority between £7 and £9.

The company works by offering riders to transport people through its app, with drivers using real-time GPS tracking. It involves dynamic pricing, with prices fluctuating based on immediate supply and demand and utilises independent contractors rather than traditional employees.

Adver readers have been positive about Uber's well-known availability and cheap fares.

“Uber best taxis to use. And cheapest!” said Stefanescu Taoo Dragos.

“They’ve been very reliable. No complaints,” said Ben Thomas.

“Been using them for several weeks and great so far,” said Janice Timms.

“Used them for the first time on Sat night. Great service. Arrived on time and price reasonable,” said Rhi Parkes.

“Availability is great, they’re quick and responsive and so much cheaper than any taxi company we’ve had in years…!” said Sav Sav.

But there were a few negative responses.

“If you are out in the sticks or live in the countryside, Uber says your taxi is half an hour away on the monitor and never arrive,” said Dave Morton.

“Goodbye to the rest of the taxi operators,” said Paul Hobbs.

This is a view shared by other taxi companies in Swindon, who say they are concerned that the new licensing of Uber will reduce their customer numbers.

John, a Hackney Carriage Driver in Swindon, said: “The council should be ashamed of themselves.

“I think customer numbers will drop for everybody, even the private hire companies.”

Swindon Taxi also spoke to the Adver saying that Uber has “already made it harder” for them, is affecting their business, and means they are getting less work.

Another Swindon taxi company, who didn’t want to be named, said that Uber was already affecting them, and they expect it to get worse in the long term.

Addressing their decision to grant the licence, Swindon Borough Council said that they decide licences on a case-by-case basis in line with their taxi licensing policy.

In this case, they said the decision was made to approve the licence because there was no reason not to.

An Uber spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to have been granted a licence to operate in Swindon and we’ve seen a really strong response from the local community.

“From catching a train, going to a medical appointment or back home after a night out, people really value being able to get where they need to go in a safe, affordable and easy way.

“Importantly, we’re also creating new earning opportunities for local drivers. On Uber, all drivers have access to industry-leading worker rights such as holiday entitlement and access to a pension scheme, as well as formal representation through GMB Union.”

Uber has also recently been granted licences to operate in Wiltshire and in Salisbury.

The firm launched in San Francisco in 2010 and made hiring vehicles for the short-term mainstream, effectively creating a new industry and transforming public transport.

It expanded to over 70 countries and 450+ cities by 2017, but there have been criticisms of the system as it avoids full employment benefits to those working through the app and avoids other regulations required of traditional taxi drivers.

Maybe that was the local cab option? Or just the standard cross-border Ubering, and the author talking bollocks?


GPS and self-employed drivers? That's never happened before


'Made hiring vehicles for the short-term mainstream' and 'creating a new industry'.

Er, isn't that's what's called a taxi service, roughly speaking?


No, me neither