Uber to lose license in London today ?

[Simster]

TfL have banned Uber on grounds of it being unfit and proper. I wonder what that means? If it means that they there aren't enough safety checks on cars and drivers to the extent that we have seen an alarming number of accidents and passenger assaults then I have absolutely no sympathy.

I don't want to be told this by the cabbies though as they are acting in self preservation only, much as they did (perfectly reasonably) when they campaigned to refuse the right of minicabs to pick up without a pre-ordered fair. Personally I think paying a hefty premium for "the knowledge" is just not worth it anymore.

However, you can't put a price on passenger safety. Uber need to address that before they come back to the market. It will mean increased overheads which will in turn impact the cost of Uber fairs, but that is the way it ought to be.

 

[clippedgull]

Turned down..

Will be appealed and they will get it back. Keeps the lawyers well funded!

 

[Bozza]

TfL have banned Uber on grounds of it being unfit and proper. I wonder what that means?

According to Transport for London, Uber's policies regarding the reporting of serious criminal offences, how it obtains medical certificates and driver checks do not meet the standard that the watchdog wants. It also noted Uber's use of its "Greyball" software in the capital, which allowed the company to evade authorities all over the world by tagging known officials and serving up dummy versions of the app that were populated with ghost cars.

 

[Bozza]

They can appeal, and surely will, and get to keep operating until the conclusion of the appeal.

 

[Simster]

Will be appealed and they will get it back. Keeps the lawyers well funded!

That will surely depend on whether the grounds are spurious. How many accidents and assaults per Uber ride are there compared to black cabs? I honestly don't know. Do TfL?

We'll need that data ourselves to form an opinion

 

[nicko31]

1,000,000,000 times better than local taxis here. You know the price before taking it and surge means you might pay triple but still save on the price or hassle of a regular cab that scams you.

I remember getting scammed at Manila AP, a guy produced a price list in gold writing, USD60 to the city, set price friend

 

[The Spanish]

Good news. Buses are still running for anyone who somehow thinks black cabs are a 'rip off'

 

[Simster]

According to Transport for London, Uber's policies regarding the reporting of serious criminal offences, how it obtains medical certificates and driver checks do not meet the standard that the watchdog wants. It also noted Uber's use of its "Greyball" software in the capital, which allowed the company to evade authorities all over the world by tagging known officials and serving up dummy versions of the app that were populated with ghost cars.

Cheers. I've only ever really used Uber to any great extent in Orlando a year ago when I was using it daily. What I noticed was the disparity in quality of driving, and whilst most drivers seemed like good people, there were one or two I wouldn't have chosen to trust with a half hour drive in truth. This was a feeling I've never had with Black Cab drivers, who are clearly stringently checked to the extent that when one of them is found to assault a passenger, it is all over the media as it doesn't happen often.

Good news. Buses are still running for anyone who somehow thinks black cabs are a 'rip off'

Not really helpful if you want to get out of London but I take your point! And minicab and Uber drivers make buttons - do we really want to promote that particular race to the bottom?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Cheers. I've only ever really used Uber to any great extent in Orlando a year ago when I was using it daily. What I noticed was the disparity in quality of driving, and whilst most drivers seemed like good people, there were one or two I wouldn't have chosen to trust with a half hour drive in truth. This was a feeling I've never had with Black Cab drivers, who are clearly stringently checked to the extent that when one of them is found to assault a passenger, it is all over the media as it doesn't happen often.

I'm not disputing the assault claims / stats, but I genuinely don't understand them.

If a teenage girl on her own needs to get home at 3am, from a club, she has two options:

The black cab model involves her waving down a cab, with an unknown driver (in theory, but not always the person the cab is licensed to), with no record of her doing so. Nobody knows whose cab she got into, nor where she was going.

The Uber model means she gets the name and image of the driver sent to her, so she can verify. The booked journey is documented and traceable, and crucially, the driver (if he should be some deviant sexual predator) KNOWS that he is fully traceable and identifiable.

How can the former be the SAFER model?

 

[Simster]

I'm not disputing the assault claims / stats, but I genuinely don't understand them.

If a teenage girl on her own needs to get home at 3am, from a club, she has two options:

The black cab model involves her waving down a cab, with an unknown driver (in theory, but not always the person the cab is licensed to), with no record of her doing so. Nobody knows whose cab she got into, nor where she was going.

The Uber model means she gets the name and image of the driver sent to her, so she can verify. The booked journey is documented and traceable, and crucially, the driver (if he should be some deviant sexual predator) KNOWS that he is fully traceable and identifiable.

How can the former be the SAFER model?

Presumably because the black cabs have had far more stringent background checks run on them. I think anyone can download the Uber app and become a driver, but even if that isn't true, my perception is that it is probably a lot easier to get round these checks.

 

[Common as Mook]

I'm not disputing the assault claims / stats, but I genuinely don't understand them.

If a teenage girl on her own needs to get home at 3am, from a club, she has two options:

The black cab model involves her waving down a cab, with an unknown driver (in theory, but not always the person the cab is licensed to), with no record of her doing so. Nobody knows whose cab she got into, nor where she was going.

The Uber model means she gets the name and image of the driver sent to her, so she can verify. The booked journey is documented and traceable, and crucially, the driver (if he should be some deviant sexual predator) KNOWS that he is fully traceable and identifiable.

How can the former be the SAFER model?

You saved me from typing this.

 

[dwayne]

Why?

I just checked add Lee from my zone 1 location and it's a 20 minute wait time..... Nuff said

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Presumably because the black cabs have had far more stringent background checks run on them. I think anyone can download the Uber app and become a driver, but even if that isn't true, my perception is that it is probably a lot easier to get round these checks.

Almost certainly that's true.

However, if they were to tighten that up, the technology / system has to be a safety benefit, over the complete anonymity of a black cab journey.

 

[Springal]

I'm not disputing the assault claims / stats, but I genuinely don't understand them.

If a teenage girl on her own needs to get home at 3am, from a club, she has two options:

The black cab model involves her waving down a cab, with an unknown driver (in theory, but not always the person the cab is licensed to), with no record of her doing so. Nobody knows whose cab she got into, nor where she was going.

The Uber model means she gets the name and image of the driver sent to her, so she can verify. The booked journey is documented and traceable, and crucially, the driver (if he should be some deviant sexual predator) KNOWS that he is fully traceable and identifiable.

How can the former be the SAFER model?

Or she could use MyTaxi which is similar to Uber and uses Black Cabs. You get drivers details, reg plate etc and benefit of a Black Cab service.

 

[Springal]

I just checked add Lee from my zone 1 location and it's a 20 minute wait time..... Nuff said

Fair point. My use is generally quite planned. Only cost me £7.90 to go from Tower Hill to Soho last Saturday night, which Uber without surge was showing £10+

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I prefer proper taxis.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It better not happen in B&H as the local taxi firms are an utter disgrace. Always use Uber now and never had a problem.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Or she could use MyTaxi which is similar to Uber and uses Black Cabs. You get drivers details, reg plate etc and benefit of a Black Cab service.

Thanks. That sounds good - and the best of both worlds.

 

[swindonseagull]

Love Uber, £10 from Portslade to the stadium last game, used them in Paris, great service, as always on NSC the only people who think certain companies are terrible to work for don't actually work there!!!!

I have used Uber in Manila , Cebu and Kuala Lumpur cars are better standards than local Taxis and about 30% cheaper, book on your phone so can stand inside instead of joining a LONG queue in the rain...( please dont comment if you have not tried it) many taxi drivers in Philippines demand ' extras' ie 20 percent tip, return charge in case the cabbie cant get a passenger, meter not working, standard fare etc,
Uber and Grab were a breath of fresh air in the Philippines.

Recently the Uber licence was suspended in Manila, but after a quick payment they were back in business....( Maybe TFL just want a quick payment AKA fine as well?)

 

[Simster]

Almost certainly that's true.

However, if they were to tighten that up, the technology / system has to be a safety benefit, over the complete anonymity of a black cab journey.

We are in full agreement (and [MENTION=2565]Common as Mook[/MENTION]), as I pointed out in the last sentence of post #21.