Uber, another company sucking money out of the UK.

[jgmcdee]

That advert on behalf of London cabbies someone posted earlier seems to suggest that they don't. I'm not knocking Uber on this, just saying that I think I'd prefer my girlfriend took a licensed cab rather than an Uber one if she was a bit sloshed and needed a cab home.

Just another note on traceability: with Uber you receive a picture of the car driver on your 'phone, sent directly from Uber. If that picture didn't match up with the person behind the wheel I wouldn't be getting in to the car, and I'm sure many others wouldn't either. Seems a lot safer to me than either a minicab or a black cab.

 

[Bozza]

Ah, my bad, don't know why I typed corporation on that line.

Please explain this sentence of yours then:

This tax is paid on revenue (with appropriate thresholds in place) not profit,

 

[spring hall convert]

The trouble is with RB, is that he choses and promotes one a side of an argument and populates propoganda for his own agenda and self promotion. Not one of your points was even mentioned in his video.

I'm not disagreeing with you but the vast majority of the mainstream media does exactly the same.

 

[Buzzer]

Just another note on traceability: with Uber you receive a picture of the car driver on your 'phone, sent directly from Uber. If that picture didn't match up with the person behind the wheel I wouldn't be getting in to the car, and I'm sure many others wouldn't either. Seems a lot safer to me than either a minicab or a black cab.

Fair enough, each to their own. I'd just prefer a driver with a PNC check. I'll happily concede that others might think Uber is safer.

 

[Nibble]

Please explain this sentence of yours then:

This tax is paid on revenue (with appropriate thresholds in place) not profit,

I'm getting bored answering your passive aggressive demands. You don't think they make profit and therefore shouldn't be paying tax. I think the opposite. It's not that complicated.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Are people on here aware that you are required to pay corporation tax whether you are making a profit or not. This tax is paid on revenue (with appropriate thresholds in place) not profit,

Come again ?? That has to be one of the stupidest posts on NSC this year - and boy is there some competition !

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Ah, my bad, don't know why I typed corporation on that line.

To the original and most pertinent point, should Uber be paying tax in the UK. Several MP's believe so and have lodged complaints which the HMRC is investigating. So I guess some people out there are thinking the same as me.

 

[brightn'ove]

That advert on behalf of London cabbies someone posted earlier seems to suggest that they don't. I'm not knocking Uber on this, just saying that I think I'd prefer my girlfriend took a licensed cab rather than an Uber one if she was a bit sloshed and needed a cab home.

You have to be a licensed private hire driver to be an Uber driver in the UK, so in terms of the background of the driver it is no different to getting a private hire taxi.

 

[Nibble]

View attachment 67230

It's easy enough to make mistakes when one is forced to repeat oneself and answer all manner of ridiculous questions. Mistake or not, my point remains the same. Agree with it or don't but getting into a left/right poster grudge match is all a bit last year wouldn't you say.

 

[Buzzer]

You have to be a licensed private hire driver to be an Uber driver in the UK, so in terms of the background of the driver it is no different to getting a private hire taxi.

I bow to your better knowledge on this. I was going on the advert that the London cabbies put out that the Uber drivers don't have a CRB check.

 

[Nibble]

Come again ?? That has to be one of the stupidest posts on NSC this year - and boy is there some competition !

I've addressed that mistake. Keep up chap.

 

[vegster]

It's not really a thread about Brand but I take your point.

Yes, for the moment they undercut cabbies but I think they are already putting their prices up so that won't last. What do people think about them sending their profits off-shore and denying the UK it's taxes? It isn't really very good for consumers if they don't pay their tax.

This is the Tory way, because we have little industry compared to 50 years ago we have little to export and so we rely on service industries, many from abroad, to give us jobs and wages. Trouble is, these companies want to take their profits out with them and so there are loopholes that the large companies can exploit. If the government clamped down hard on them they would just invest elsewhere and we would have little or no Barista jobs for all our graduates.

 

[jgmcdee]

You have to be a licensed private hire driver to be an Uber driver in the UK, so in terms of the background of the driver it is no different to getting a private hire taxi.

This is true. You need to have a PCO licence to driver for Uber, and to obtain this there are DVLA and DBS checks as well as other useful items like a medical required.

 

[brightn'ove]

I bow to your better knowledge on this. I was going on the advert that the London cabbies put out that the Uber drivers don't have a CRB check.

One of the main problems with London cabbies' argument against Uber is that it isn't in any way different to private hire ...

In fact, private hire is less safe for passengers, you aren't tracked, the car isn't tracked and you don't know who the driver is.

 

[Ernest]

i can see both sides of this argument but to me Uber is no different to being in London and ringing the mini cab office and asking for a cab to Victoria, Heathrow wherever and get a quote and book it. Black cabs were always the convenient way of standing in the street and waving your arm to one and jumping in but you had no control of the cost and watching the meter tick over whilst counting the shrapnel in your pocket to see if you could afford it isn't the best way to go.

The bottom line is that the cabbies can always switch over to the Uber side if they don't like the competition. If you can't beat them join them.

 

[Arthur]

They're contractors. Uber has a ratio of 80 to 1 contractors to FTEs. The more they add the less share there is for everyone else. As Uber gains market share the amount per shift earned by cabbies will reduce.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/13/in-the-future-employees-wont-exist/#.kp7fkp:aJDZ

And Uber contractors in New York already struggle to make minimum wage.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-...king-less-than-minimum-wage-2014-10?r=US&IR=T

But surely you could moan about that in any industry? The more workers that flood the market the less work there is going to be available regardless of whether they are driving a cab, plastering a wall or painting someones nails. As someone else on this thread pointed out it's easy to become a cabbie anywhere in the world now so hardly surprising it's a go to career for many.

I hear what you are saying but no one is putting a gun to anyone's head and is saying drive a taxi for me.

 

[Guinness Boy]

But surely you could moan about that in any industry? The more workers that flood the market the less work there is going to be available regardless of whether they are driving a cab, plastering a wall or painting someones nails. As someone else on this thread pointed out it's easy to become a cabbie anywhere in the world now so hardly surprising it's a go to career for many.

I hear what you are saying but no one is putting a gun to anyone's head and is saying drive a taxi for me.

No I agree. My worry is more in a wider context than Uber specifically. I genuinely worry about the effect of zero hours contracts on a level of everything from job security to changes in other markets. Uber - whether fairly or unfairly - are associated directly with that sea change but it's happening in all sorts of industries.

However, my original point was to counter [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] 's claim that Uber drivers get 80% of their fare and will be paying tax, The study I provided a link to suggests many drivers get way less than 80% and will struggle to meet minimum wage, meaning very long, unproductive hours before they pay anything bar nominal tax.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This is true. You need to have a PCO licence to driver for Uber, and to obtain this there are DVLA and DBS checks as well as other useful items like a medical required.

The PCO functions in London only. Outside London, Uber seem to be approaching the licensing issue differently. They have, for example, applied for an operator's licence in Brighton, but it is arguable that they may not meet the requirements of the Brighton licensing system.

 

[Nibble]

There's a few territories that have been a bit tougher with Uber as in basically "Pay your taxes, license your cab and drivers properly and stick to our rules, not some made up hokum you've weaved to cut costs".

 

[GOM]

There's a few territories that have been a bit tougher with Uber as in basically "Pay your taxes, license your cab and drivers properly and stick to our rules, not some made up hokum you've weaved to cut costs".

In Leeds Uber is exactly the same as any other licenced private hire company. Same rules for drivers, CRB, English language tests, Driving test, etc. Car has to be licenced with council and tested every year.
Only difference is the booking