211–220 of 609 posts
Londoner here. The license is not being renewed not because TfL isn't interested in innovation (they actively encourage it), not to retain power for the black cab drivers, and not because London isn't interested in companies like Uber operating here. It's because of the rapes. The Metropolitan Police (the part of the UK police force that polices London), has objected to their license. In 2015 alone, they had to deal…
(ex Londoner who still visits once in a while...)
The TFL press release summarises the points on why the licence is not being renewed - https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2017/septem... TfL considers that Uber's approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications. These include: Its approach to reporting serious criminal offences. Its approach…
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>> Uber literally made no impact on the quality if life to your average Londoner and won't be missed. As a Londoner I dispute that claim. It's made a huge difference for a lot of people. Until the night tube's arrival last year getting home from late nights out was expensive, difficult, or impossible. It's quite useful when moving flat - something younger Londoners tend to do quite a lot. I had to go somewhere with s…
I read what many Londoners say about Uber like they never heard about Addison Lee cabs, which existed years before, offer a nice app, professional drivers and fixed tariffs. Last time I checked, tariffs were about 20% higher than Uber. But depending on congestion, could end up cheaper. Most of my friends were praising Uber, but I was warning them that their prices are unsustainable and slightly higher easy-to-hail ca…
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Failure to report serious crimes and allowing the driver to continue driving for Uber: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/13/uber-fail... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/uber-drivers-accused-of... Failure to properly check medical certifications: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1897962/investigation-reveals-... Failure to follow up DBS (criminal records) checks (can't find an article about that one).…
More than 400 London cab drivers charged with crimes last year [0]. Not sure if this includes Uber, but from your comment, Uber doesn't report to DBS, so it doesn't. When you judge a service, you should really ask "compared to what". I prefer knowing the name and track record of my driver, not to mention an easy way to report mis-behavior, a history of my ride and ability to share my location. I don't have any stats,…
That would include Uber drivers.
> I prefer knowing the name and track record of my driver
You know their name, but their track record? You can see previous ratings, but that's not exactly going to include "1*, driver sexually assaulted me" is it?
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All London black cabs must take card payments. If their machine isn't working, they're not allowed to be on the road.
And that applies to tips?
Uber, it's worth pointing out, does not currently allow for tipping either, I believe.
Uber as a company is immoral from time to time, however their service is great, and I'd be sad to see it go from London. TfL operates one of the most expensive public transport systems in the world, and is happy to license black cab drivers (who in my experience, can be rude and are an absolute rip off a lot of the time). Not only that, black cab drivers in my area regularly drive through zebra crossings while people…
As one of the 3,500,000 users I hope they sort it out. I've not heard any demands from us fellow Uber users to have the service banned for our own protection. The assaults and muggings which happen are usually because someones walking sometime's because they can't afford a cab.
Do you really consider it acceptable for Uber not to do legally required background checks (DBD, health)?
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There's MyTaxi, Gett and Addison Lee has an app. I used to use Hailo before it became MyTaxi. It's certainly not as cost-effective but what I did like were the flat-rate rides you could get. They weren't black cabs, but more like Uber Luxes or Uber Execs and probably 20% cheaper than black cabs. With Uber gone, I'm sure the market would provide something else.
Correct me if I'm wrong here: MyTaxi and Gett are solely for black cabs? This makes them a lot more expensive than private hire. Their UX is also slightly behind Uber's offering. Addison Lee are also overpriced, and are not a company I'm willing to support due to their director's comments about cyclists and public transport. One service you haven't mentioned here is Green Tomato, which have a tolerable app, but seem…
Gett IME charges less than the normal metered rates.