[Brighton] UBER Licence Revoked in Brighton and Hove

[Chicken Run]

Urgh, I know this will upset people on here but these unions really need to get a grip on reality. We do not live in the 1970's, technology exists and people will use it anyway they can to make money, help people and god forbid, create a product which disrupts the norm. All unions seek to do now is take from the consumer and make unrealistic demands from companies..

The only contribution Uber ever made to the trade was an attempt to remove the local ‘Knowledge Test’ which failed despite being presented by the Uber solicitors that “Satellite Navigation is better". - Local knowledge is good but I'm sorry, no matter how good a drivers knowledge of an area is they do not have real time knowledge of traffic across every road in B&H. Sat Nav is a very good resource and should be used.

Our own council ‘Enforcement Officers’ have worked tirelessly having to deal with a considerable amount of complaints made by the local trade of infringements caused by these uncontrollable ‘out-of-town’ drivers who think nothing of illegally sitting on Brighton & Hove taxi ranks and sleeping in their vehicles night-in and night-out on the seafront and driving in the wrong direction in one way systems.... all under the watch of Uber. - I have lost count at the amount of times I have seen B&H taxi's parked illegally, double parked, pulling over without warning and picking up passengers in dangerous places. Referring to drivers and 'out-of-town' like some kind of western sherif just goes to show how insular and overly negatives unions are.

One of these conditions of licensing is compulsory CCTV which is much scorned on by Uber. - CCTV is flawed, it can be deleted by the driver and cameras can be deactivated. Uber tracks realtime, allows a passenger to report a driver to the police and alerts authorities if the driver goes too far off piste.

Additionally there is the responsibility for the provision of ‘Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles’ (WAV’S) that despite Uber having access to the hundreds of ‘out-of-town’ taxi and private hire vehicles that it encourages to predominantly work in the city ...not one of them is WAV compliant... nor is there any facility on its App to book one. - I quote from the Argus report yesterday "The company has committed to having 20 wheelchair accessible vehicles by the time it has 100 drivers here. It currently has 62." In addition the Uber app allows you to get Uber Assist for people with mobility issues.

I wish Councils and Unions would just back off and let people make their own decisions on what to use, if you want to use Uber use Uber, if you want a B&H taxi call one.

This.

 

[Rowdey]

So, breaching data protection and not complying with their own commitments. Do we really want to encourage this kind of business? No, we don’t. It’s no wonder this shoddy company has lost its license.

And Greyball.

'Of course we'll comply with the rules and regs to trade (like all other Co's) and let you monitor complaints, serious allegations, hours worked/driving etc'

'and then we'll put in place some software to stop you doing all the above, and not let you have a way around it.'

'What do you mean your taking away our license ?'

 

[geoff2021]

All cars require a strict MOT to operate, not just cabs. And remind me what did John Warboys do for a living?

At least with an Uber you know in advance what the fare will be, unlike cabs. The cab fare system is open to massive abuse,

the taxi meter is sealed by the council and the fares are also set by the council if a driver asks too much for an agreed ride tell him to use the meter or take his badge number and report him to the hackney office

 

[geoff2021]

Agreed, those defending the B+H taxis really need to start using them, especially at a weekend night. There is no way whoever those drivers are have any kind of knowledge and I'd doubt some of them even having driving licenses.

Also try going out of town and you'll be met with probably a fixed fare 50% more than it would be on meter.

then tell them to meter the fare

 

[geoff2021]

No, it will be most interesting to see how high the fares are set by B&H cabbies.

fares are set by the council not the taxi companies

 

[geoff2021]

Council rules can remove these issues. Because as we have just found out if you don’t comply with the rules you lose your license.

As an aside, genuine question, are there more aqua blue and white taxi firms in Brighton? Or is it just Streamline? I use taxis in Brighton a lot but never pay much attention to the operator(s).

radio cabs, city cabs and independents use one with a number on the side and tell the driver to meter the fare

 

[geoff2021]

spot on

yes spot on uber drivers coming to brighton from liverpool working 18 hour days and sleeping in their cabs over the weekends, very safe and the sat nav they use is useless and overcharges for the priveledge £90 TO GATWICK £40 set fare from 204060

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

radio cabs, city cabs and independents use one with a number on the side and tell the driver to meter the fare

So [MENTION=1365]Westdene Seagull[/MENTION] has options aside from Streamline then.

I must admit I’ve never paid any attention when using a Brighton taxi. And I have genuinely never ever had any issue with a Brighton taxi whatever it’s underlying company. They have always been reasonably polite, known where to go (although sometimes they need a hand if pubs have changed names etc) and never done that driving slow thing another poster said his taxi driving mates boast about (although I find it hard to believe it makes a worthwhile difference and think it’s just boastful rubbish). I’ll continue to use them.

 

[taz]

Would have to be driving at less than 4 mph to affect the meter distance price . . that's very safe driving

 

[SeagullSarge]

yes spot on uber drivers coming to brighton from liverpool working 18 hour days and sleeping in their cabs over the weekends, very safe and the sat nav they use is useless and overcharges for the priveledge £90 TO GATWICK £40 set fare from 204060

I use Uber a reasonable amount in B&H and I have to say that I’m still yet to get a driver who has come from anywhere other than a local neighboring district. Think the furthest afield has been Lewes... besides which it does tell you where the driver has been granted a licence when they agrees to pick you up on the App, you can then cancel if your not happy, it’s your choice.

In addition you see the fare BEFORE you even request the cab so if ou think it’s too high, you can move on to another operator, an Uber will never cost more than what the app has show!

 

[The Spanish]

yes spot on uber drivers coming to brighton from liverpool working 18 hour days and sleeping in their cabs over the weekends, very safe and the sat nav they use is useless and overcharges for the priveledge £90 TO GATWICK £40 set fare from 204060

when the trains were up the spout the other day with the loon on the track, uber was going 120 quid to gatwick, people were rushing off getting them, while there were Brighton cabs sitting on the rank at brighton station who would have charged them 40.

 

[Bozza]

when the trains were up the spout the other day with the loon on the track, uber was going 120 quid to gatwick, people were rushing off getting them, while there were Brighton cabs sitting on the rank at brighton station who would have charged them 40.

Not sure how a driver being able to earn a premium when demand is high (triggering Uber surge pricing) really fits with the supposed "race to the bottom" argument.

 

[Springal]

when the trains were up the spout the other day with the loon on the track, uber was going 120 quid to gatwick, people were rushing off getting them, while there were Brighton cabs sitting on the rank at brighton station who would have charged them 40.

edit

 

[mikeyjh]

Urgh, I know this will upset people on here but these unions really need to get a grip on reality. We do not live in the 1970's, technology exists and people will use it anyway they can to make money, help people and god forbid, create a product which disrupts the norm.

I'll pause you there as that's where your you've gone wrong. Uber don't make money, they lose money, they lose a staggering, historically unprecedented amount of money. $4.5 BILLION dollars in 2017. Their mission is to wipe out the competition and they are being heavily funded by investors in doing so. There losing all this money while cutting costs anyway they can in no adhering to local licensing authorities, what do you think they're going to do to make money? Mock the taxi drivers if you will, but you may miss them when they're gone and Uber has a monopoly.....

 

[spring hall convert]

I'm really no fan of Uber as a business but as part of a more general point it really does worry me that we are presided over at local and national level by people who appear to have virtually no understanding of the internet, how it works and how it is changing our lives at a worrying/ amazing (delete as appropriate) pace.

Compare it with the general political hysteria over social media. I'm yet to hear a mainstream politician in this country talk about social media as if they rather than their (probably unpaid) intern use it on a regular basis.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

the taxi meter is sealed by the council and the fares are also set by the council if a driver asks too much for an agreed ride tell him to use the meter or take his badge number and report him to the hackney office

My comment was with regards to drivers taking advantage, taking the more scenic, less direct routes. I use Uber all over Europe knowing that despite my lack of knowledge of local geography, I know that I'm not going to get ripped off.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

So [MENTION=1365]Westdene Seagull[/MENTION] has options aside from Streamline then.

I must admit I’ve never paid any attention when using a Brighton taxi. And I have genuinely never ever had any issue with a Brighton taxi whatever it’s underlying company. They have always been reasonably polite, known where to go (although sometimes they need a hand if pubs have changed names etc) and never done that driving slow thing another poster said his taxi driving mates boast about (although I find it hard to believe it makes a worthwhile difference and think it’s just boastful rubbish). I’ll continue to use them.

I do indeed have a 'choice' - problem being that all the local firms are run along the same lines and are having to be dragged into the 21st Century kicking and screaming.

Put aside the problems I've had with Streamline, I prefer the service I get from Uber. The app always works and is accurate ( unlike Streamlines ), I know how much I'm paying before I confirm the pickup, I get decent cars ( BMWs, Mercs for example ), I never have to give directions and I can pay by card without any argument. It's like anything - I'll pay for the service I think is better. At the moment, IMO, Uber are far better than the local firms. The local firms need to improve and improve quickly if they don't want to lose more business to Uber.

 

[The Clamp]

Brighton cab drivers are rip off wankers.

 

[Machiavelli]

I'm really no fan of Uber as a business but as part of a more general point it really does worry me that we are presided over at local and national level by people who appear to have virtually no understanding of the internet, how it works and how it is changing our lives at a worrying/ amazing (delete as appropriate) pace.

Compare it with the general political hysteria over social media. I'm yet to hear a mainstream politician in this country talk about social media as if they rather than their (probably unpaid) intern use it on a regular basis.

You might be aware that I'm no fan of the Tories, but I'd put forward Damian Collins, chair of the Culture, Media, Sport Select Committee, as an early candidate for twigging what's going on. His response to the CA/Facebook issue has been encouraging.

 

[Don Tmatter]

Meter Tariffs are set by the licensing authority NOT cabbies or cab companies,