Taxi Driver Online

Maybe it would have happened anyway, but what was it I said about Uber's Local Cab option being a Trojan Horse for the local trade?

Anyway, easy to share the concerns expressed here, but there's quite a lot of inaccuracies and the usual smell of protectionism.

And that's Mick Crow in the photo, otherwise known by his nickname 'Scare'


Fears Uber rise in Lincoln will kill jobs and leave local firms ruined

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news ... ll-9162128

Uber taxi drivers are getting licences elsewhere before coming to work in Lincoln


Image: Lincolnshire Live

The number of Ubers in Lincoln has increased dramatically over the past few years and local taxi companies are concerned about job losses as a result. Uber first gained a foothold in Lincoln through its 'Local Cab' service in 2022 which allowed Handsome Cabs customers to book via the Uber app.

This service has since ended but the number of Uber drivers has continued to rise due to lenient cross-border policies. Most Lincoln Uber drivers are getting licenced elsewhere in the country, including Wolverhampton and Birmingham, before coming to work in the city despite not being from the area.

Lincoln-based taxi companies, which are licensed through City of Lincoln Council, are losing customers. Mick Crow started Direct Cars, Lincoln's biggest taxi company, in 1998 and says he has never seen anything like what is happening in the city. He said: "My problem with Uber is that we're not on an even playing field. My drivers have to do a knowledge test. Yet Uber drivers can come into Lincoln, not knowing anywhere around Lincoln, and do the work.

"I agree that eventually they will have an effect but we've got to work against them and not with them. The goalposts are too far away. We have to comply with all the laws. We can't drive anywhere in the UK and pick people up yet they can go where they want.

"It's not right. Another thing I don't find right is that they're coming to Lincoln, taking all the money from the county and taking it to other areas. Most Lincoln taxi drivers live in the area so they keep the money in the city. They come from Wolverhampton and all over to work in Lincoln."

Mr Crow, who has been in the industry for 42 years, added: "We're not going to stop it. There's only one thing that can stop it and that's the Government but I don't think they're bothered. It's frustrating when we get drivers coming to us saying they're taking jobs out of the centre and there's nobody managing them. It's not like anything I've ever seen before and I've been in the industry since 1982.

"It's hard work explaining to our drivers how Uber drivers can do certain things and our lot can't. I don't know where the end is going to be. If they're working in Lincoln they should comply with the city council's rulings. It's widespread now, it's happening all over and it's putting people out of jobs.

"It's going to make for challenging times and the smaller operators in Lincoln are not going to be strong enough to stay with it. If it came to affect us that much then it would be members of staff we'd have to lose. I feel sorry for some of the people who are going to fall by the wayside - and it will happen."

Amy Sylvester works for A2B taxis and has been in the Lincoln taxi industry for 16 years. She believes that Uber will eventually take over the city and the smaller taxi companies will be "ruined" as a result.

Ms Sylvester said: "The big thing with Uber for us is that we have set fares whereas they price surge quite a lot. They're nice and cheap in the quiet times but prices surge in the busy times.

"Eventually companies like ours, not being a 24-hour company or with a reputation like Direct Cars or Handsome Cabs, will be ruined. The only thing that will keep us going luckily is our council school runs. We have to take on those contract runs to give our drivers some work.

"There used to be a rule where if you had a plate in Lincoln you wouldn't be able to cross the border to work in different cities and council areas. Most of the Lincoln taxis have City of Lincoln Council plates but most of the Ubers now have Wolverhampton plates.

"They're going elsewhere to get plated and regulated and not be checked as rigorously. The problem will only get bigger. I probably won't have a job in nine or 10 years, it will all just be an algorithm in an app. I think Ubers will take over."

Responding to the frustration of Lincoln taxi companies, 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. We engage closely with councils across the country, including City of Lincoln Council, and are happy to discuss any issues."

A spokesperson for City of Lincoln Council said: "Legislation from the Department of Transport allows Uber drivers from outside the city to operate in Lincoln."

Yes you can


Somehow doubt they're driving 200 miles a day from Wolverhampton to work in Lincoln

Problem some have with a lot of the cross-border firms (and local firms too) is that they make it sound like it's drivers coming from elsewhere, where in fact they're just getting badged and plated in Wolverhampton, and the issue is that they're working for another firm, essentially.





So which plate do the rest of the 'Lincoln taxis' have?

The interesting thing about operators moaning about drivers coming from elsewhere, is that they wouldn't in moaning if those drivers from elsewhere were on their circuits.

Like down here, the operators couldn't give two f***s about Uber taking work from the local trade, they are only concerned about them taking drivers/vehicles from their circuits.

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IDFIMH

Case in point.

'It's going to really affect us', says Swansea cab firm as Uber arrives in city

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... s-28808943

A Swansea taxi firm has said the city is too small to accommodate Uber after the ride-hailing service launched here. Uber said its arrival in Swansea was in response to rising demand with more than 4,000 locals opening the Uber app looking for a trip each week, despite, up until now, the company not operating here.

The firm was given its licence to operate by Swansea Council earlier this year. To use the service customers select a destination and pay through the Uber app. All drivers are fully licensed. The app also features driver ratings, GPS tracking and emergency support to protect the safety of both drivers and passengers. You can find out more about how Uber works here.

The introduction of Uber to Swansea is the brand's first new launch in a city since 2017. To celebrate, it has announced that customers can get up to £20 off their next two rides until March 24, 2024.

Richard Thomas, of Richard's Taxi Service, felt the announcement was a "concern" for drivers in the city. He explained: "I'm disappointed, to be honest, there is no work for us now as it is, and with them, it's going to really affect us. The town is too small for Uber, it has done the dirty on the normal drivers. I don't think it will work in Swansea. I hope people will stick by the taxi service. It is a concern for everybody. It's just a feeling of disappointment among taxi drivers."

Yellow Cabs owners, Dean Roderick and Neil Trainer said their company had evolved itself to allow customers to book taxis through a mobile phone app.

It read: "As a cornerstone of Swansea's transportation landscape for over thirty years, Yellow Cabs has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of our community. We take immense pride in our legacy of service and are committed to remaining at the forefront of innovation while staying true to our roots as a local company with deep ties to Swansea.

"One of the significant changes we've introduced in recent years is the Yellow Cabs app, which revolutionises the way our customers book and manage their rides. With just a few taps on their smartphones, passengers can now easily request a Yellow Cab, track their driver's location in real-time, and continue to pay securely by credit card or cash. This technology not only enhances convenience for our customers but also streamlines our operations, ensuring swift and efficient service.

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IDFIMH

the argument should be that uber generate practically zero tax revenues for the government whereas local PH are generating revenues for the local council through licensing and tax revenues for the government.

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...as I kept on saying during the Local Cab thing, but never sure about the actual date, so thanks, Uber

But I'd guess expansion had slowed significantly in the year or two prior to 2017 anyway.

However, Uber obviously back on the march again...


Another way to look at that would be that 4,000 local dafties have been opening the Uber app in just one week knowing full well Uber doesn't operate in Swansea

Anyway, two different approaches evident from the local PH operators quoted:

1 Moan, moan, moan;

2 Uber-style PR about not being stuck in the past, essentially.

Not sure which I prefer

clearly local cabs wasn't bringing in much profit hence

[url]https://www.prodrivermags.com/news/uber-takes-surprise-decision-to-shut-down-local-cab-service-from-december-11/[/url]

so looks like this is ine univercity they missed !

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Hadn't read that article in Pro Mag from the end of last year, but here it is:


Uber takes surprise decision to shut down Local Cab service from December 11

https://www.prodrivermags.com/news/uber ... cember-11/

Uber has taken the surprise decision to close its Local Cab service in the UK – though it plans to expand the service internationally.

An Uber spokesperson said: “Following a review we have decided to discontinue the Local Cab service in the UK, meaning that this product will no longer be available for Uber users. Autocab’s core business is unaffected and continues to grow.”

The Local Cab service was launched in 2021 following Uber’s takeover of dispatch systems provider Autocab in 2020. The service allowed private hire operators on Autocab’s iGo platform to access Uber jobs, giving customers using the Uber app the chance to use Uber’s platform in towns where Uber does not operate.

Around 70 operators had signed up to the service, and Uber rolled the service out in almost 100 UK towns and cities, in addition to the 17 cities where Uber has a direct presence. But Uber has now given operators 30 days’ notice that Local Cab will be switched off next month.

In an email to operators, Uber wrote: “Following a recent review of the performance of Local Cab in the UK, we have decided, regrettably, to discontinue the Local Cab service as of Monday 11th of December at 5pm. We are very sorry to bring this news and we are extremely grateful for the service provided by operators across the UK since Local Cab’s inception in 2021.”

Autocab managing director Safa Alkateb also emailed operators about the decision. He wrote: “The combination of the excellent technical integration of Local Cab and the more favourable market fit abroad means that we will be launching Local Cab internationally. Work is already well underway on this, and we look forward to announcing these partnerships in the New Year.”

“I want to assure you that the termination of the Local Cab service in the UK will not impact our service to you. As per your contract with Autocab, your data is your data and in line with data protection law, your data will continue to be protected. If you have signed a Local Cab contract with Uber, your contract ensures that any driver data provided for tracking details is not allowed to be retained or used by Uber for the purposes of marketing to those drivers.”

The announcement does not address why the decision has been taken, or whether Uber will resume launching its service with its own fleet of drivers in cities where customers will no longer be able to access the service.

Uber stopped direct launches in the UK in 2017, and even suggested that it might in future transition to a full platform, without operating its own cars, other than in very major cities such as London.

It is also possible that Uber will concentrate entirely on large urban areas and abandon plans to build a national app that works everywhere – which was the objective of Local Cab.

Not really sure what Uber 'might in future transition to a full platform' actually means, other than that effectively the whole lot might have become like the Local Cab scenario over most of the country?

But, for example, since Uber doesn't actually own any cars, and drivers could conceviably be working for several 'platforms' at the same time, again the phrase above about 'without operating its own cars' reads more like a spectrum scenario rather than a binary

But looks like that ship has well and truly sailed now, and Uber has reverted to its original game plan...

I wonder why that might be, precisely?

Maybe they think that the UK tax stuff will go their way, and to that extent it will be detrimental to conventional firms, and thus more ripe for the taking in competition terms

Think Uber generates (now) 100s of millions in VAT in the UK.

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IDFIMH

Another extract from the article in TaxiPoint - not really sure I understand this :


That makes it sound like some kind of current cross-border working would be baked in if the legislation changed in future. And that, say, a new app operator wouldn't be able to work cross-border in the way Uber currently does because of any future changes.

Can't really see it working like that. Somehow doubt there would be different rules that would benefit existing cross-border operators that wouldn't apply to new ones.

Or, to use the parlance that's often used, there wouldn't be any 'grandfather'-style rights for cross-border operators. There would no doubt be a transition period toward any new regime, but I doubt there would be any residual/historic rights, or whatever they would be called.

which app firm is the biggest (briber) sorry contributer to party funds political contributions usually buy you the legislative framework you prefer

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It wouldn't surprise me if a review of cross-border hiring didn't go hand in hand with a set of national minimum PH standards.

The argument goes that if everyone had the same rules and regulations to follow, then there would be no need to work predominantly outside of your area.

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IDFIMH

I regularly check Uber in Lincoln , like right now, for instance. I could get an Uber x in 15 minutes time to the railway station, one mile away. The published price? £19.91! WTF do punters adore Uber so?

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Former taxi driver

because if the use "uber" they can name drop them and be acceptable to the incrowd

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