[Brighton] UBER Licence Revoked in Brighton and Hove

[The Clamp]

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

I deal with the person I'm handing the cash to. Genuinely sorry to say that the days of me tipping drivers are long since gone. When I'm being charged nearly a tenner to get a run up from the rail station to the 7 dials there is none spare for tips anymore. Okay, not the drivers fault but I deal with the person whose pocket the cash goes in. If the the driver has a problem, his gripe can go to his immediate contact too.

 

[Weststander]

Meter tariffs are set by the council, but they vary greatly by council. Brighon cabbies have always lobbied BHCC for higher tariffs, to great effect. Making fares in the surrounding councils far better value.

 

[Weststander]

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.

Driving fairly slowly through not the fastest route, makes a hell of a difference to a fare, especially over a long distance such as the Brighton to Lancing example mentioned by the earlier poster.

The meter works on the greater of time and miles tariffs.

Taking 20 minutes or 30 minutes to Lancing, at middle of the night rates, makes a hell of a difference to the fare.

I worked for a professional firm using cabs several times a week within the city. Certain drivers took slower routes, riddled with traffic lights, when there were quicker alternatives well known to most Brightonians. Eventually my senior colleague started having to say "to ..... via ......, please".

 

[Rowdey]

I deal with the person I'm handing the cash to. Genuinely sorry to say that the days of me tipping drivers are long since gone. When I'm being charged nearly a tenner to get a run up from the rail station to the 7 dials there is none spare for tips anymore. Okay, not the drivers fault but I deal with the person whose pocket the cash goes in. If the the driver has a problem, his gripe can go to his immediate contact too.

I'm calling bullshit on this. Or you are a fool for paying that amount, and not taking his license number and reg plate.

@The_Large_One seems know what it should cost.

 

[The Clamp]

I'm calling bullshit on this. Or you are a fool for paying that amount, and not taking his license number and reg plate.

@The_Large_One seems know what it should cost.

I almost care.

 

[Chicken Run]

Update tonight for everyone, my Uber ride into Hove was with a guy who had a B & H CC PHL, I asked why he chose to drive for Uber and not one of the cities taxi companies.

Apparently the taxi companies charge £150 per week for the rent of the radio, even if he was sick and couldn’t work or dared to take a week or more holiday he still paid. Their response when he questioned this was “Well you won’t get work in this town on any other terms do take it or leave it!” With Uber he gives 25% of his fare and only pays when he works!!!

What’s the issue if an Uber driver operates in Brighton with a City Council Licence! Oh and West Hove to Hove Town Hall £7 and I waited apx 3 mins, car clean and the driver courteous!

 

[SeagullSarge]

Update tonight for everyone, my Uber ride into Hove was with a guy who had a B & H CC PHL, I asked why he chose to drive for Uber and not one of the cities taxi companies.

Apparently the taxi companies charge £150 per week for the rent of the radio, even if he was sick and couldn’t work or dared to take a week or more holiday he still paid. Their response when he questioned this was “Well you won’t get work in this town on any other terms do take it or leave it!” With Uber he gives 25% of his fare and only pays when he works!!!

What’s the issue if an Uber driver operates in Brighton with a City Council Licence! Oh and West Hove to Hove Town Hall £7 and I waited apx 3 mins, car clean and the driver courteous!

What, your saying you weren't picked up late, presumably because the driver was sleeping in his car in the middle lane of the A23, by an escaped convicted murderer in a 1980's cut 'n' shut Vauxhall Cavalier with four bald tyres, taken for a 4hr drive around the country before be relieved of your wallet and then charged 300 quid on the App which probably didn't work anyway?

 

[geoff2021]

Update tonight for everyone, my Uber ride into Hove was with a guy who had a B & H CC PHL, I asked why he chose to drive for Uber and not one of the cities taxi companies.

Apparently the taxi companies charge £150 per week for the rent of the radio, even if he was sick and couldn’t work or dared to take a week or more holiday he still paid. Their response when he questioned this was “Well you won’t get work in this town on any other terms do take it or leave it!” With Uber he gives 25% of his fare and only pays when he works!!!

What’s the issue if an Uber driver operates in Brighton with a City Council Licence! Oh and West Hove to Hove Town Hall £7 and I waited apx 3 mins, car clean and the driver courteous!

chsrge for pda unit is £120 per week so i dont know who he worked for

 

[geoff2021]

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.

then tell the driver the route you want to take and have the fare metered

 

[geoff2021]

What, your saying you weren't picked up late, presumably because the driver was sleeping in his car in the middle lane of the A23, by an escaped convicted murderer in a 1980's cut 'n' shut Vauxhall Cavalier with four bald tyres, taken for a 4hr drive around the country before be relieved of your wallet and then charged 300 quid on the App which probably didn't work anyway?

lucky he knew how to get there

 

[geoff2021]

They can still operate full stop. With a Portsmouth council license, for example.

no they cant but can with a lewes licence

 

[geoff2021]

Meter tariffs are set by the council, but they vary greatly by council. Brighon cabbies have always lobbied BHCC for higher tariffs, to great effect. Making fares in the surrounding councils far better value.

no fare rise for about 3 years

 

[The Clamp]

Update tonight for everyone, my Uber ride into Hove was with a guy who had a B & H CC PHL, I asked why he chose to drive for Uber and not one of the cities taxi companies.

Apparently the taxi companies charge £150 per week for the rent of the radio, even if he was sick and couldn’t work or dared to take a week or more holiday he still paid. Their response when he questioned this was “Well you won’t get work in this town on any other terms do take it or leave it!” With Uber he gives 25% of his fare and only pays when he works!!!

What’s the issue if an Uber driver operates in Brighton with a City Council Licence! Oh and West Hove to Hove Town Hall £7 and I waited apx 3 mins, car clean and the driver courteous!

City cab co's have had it too good for too long. It's a racket and 2/3rds of the drivers can barely speak English or even know their way to known landmarks. One foreign chap took me half way up Edward St before I managed to persuade him to stop as it wasn't the way to the King and Queen.
With Uber you'll probably get the same but at least you don't have to pay through your japseye for it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

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.

Fine. I’ve just used 3 taxis in London and all of the above applied execept for the app (hailed on the street) and they were not the German cars you list.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

then tell the driver the route you want to take and have the fare metered

Quite. Sometimes people prefer to bleat instead of take responsibility.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

then tell the driver the route you want to take and have the fare metered

Quite. Sometimes people prefer to bleat instead of take responsibility.

Hang on - we keep being told by local taxi firms how good the Brighton training is - why should I as a customer have to direct a driver to the most efficient route ? Alledgedly it's what THEY are trained to do. Which begs the question - if they try and rip off locals what hope do tourists have at not being ripped off ?

 

[beorhthelm]

Fine. I’ve just used 3 taxis in London and all of the above applied execept for the app (hailed on the street) and they were not the German cars you list.

what has that got to do with Brighton taxis? perhaps in London there are more competition from other taxis services, private hire, public transport (i have rarely felt the need to get a cab over tube), so the standard is higher. outside London where local licensed cabbies are a monopoly, the service is apparently poor, Uber is providing a much needed improvement to service?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

what has that got to do with Brighton taxis? perhaps in London there are more competition from other taxis services, private hire, public transport (i have rarely felt the need to get a cab over tube), so the standard is higher. outside London where local licensed cabbies are a monopoly, the service is apparently poor, Uber is providing a much needed improvement to service?

The service has always been fine in London and Brighton as far as my experience goes.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Hang on - we keep being told by local taxi firms how good the Brighton training is - why should I as a customer have to direct a driver to the most efficient route ? Alledgedly it's what THEY are trained to do. Which begs the question - if they try and rip off locals what hope do tourists have at not being ripped off ?

If there’s different route options available it would help.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

Got into a green and white a while back and got a grunt from the driver who couldn't speak English and was chucked his sat nav so I could punch in the post code for him. Car stank and he could barely drive, photo hanging off the rear view was clearly not the driver and I would have got home quicker if I had driven myself. B&H taxis are not all they are cracked up to be and the standards set are not what you get. Got mates who drive for them who are the real deal but I shouldn't have to use my mobile to call them direct for a private job because I cannot trust random cabs for consistent quality. I used Uber in L.A and found it to be great, drivers who are not stressed out after 80hr weeks, clean car and interesting/friendly drivers.