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Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

bbc.com

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Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#31

Post by lotsofpulp »

onion2k wrote: post #11
caithrin wrote: post #3

"Only in the last few months it has been established that 14,000 Uber journeys have involved fraudulent drivers uploading their photos to other driver accounts - with passengers' safety potentially put at risk getting into cars with unlicensed and suspended drivers." This seems, from a technical perspective, an easy problem to solve with the resources of a public company. Is it the desperation of people who need the…

This seems, from a technical perspective, an easy problem to solve with the resources of a public company. Is it the desperation of people who need the money so badly they will constantly cheat the system? Can you design for that? I don't think the motivation on the part of the drivers who do this is very important. They're intentionally deceiving Uber customers, and in some cases endangering them. That just has to s…

Other than constant facial recognition via camera pointed at the driver, how does anyone (not just Uber), guarantee that an approved driver doesn’t get out of the car and a non approved driver get in and start driving?

Perhaps a selfie with the driver taken by the passengers during the drive would also suffice.

In my opinion, Uber has done enough. They provide the passenger with the drivers name and photo. It’s up to the passenger to verify, but Uber should make violations easy to report.

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#32

Post by gorgoiler »

Deliveroo should suffer a reckoning too, if there’s any sense in the world.

Have you ever seen a bunch of Deliveroo riders clogging up the public space outside a restaurant or other public space? Why should one business get to exploit pavements for profit, without regulation. Private companies shouldn’t be able to co-opt public space without scrutiny or permission.

Or maybe I’m too ethical and not being enough of a hustler, and I should move my team into the desk space at the local library?

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#33

Post by us0r »

PJDK wrote: post #25
caithrin wrote: post #3

"Only in the last few months it has been established that 14,000 Uber journeys have involved fraudulent drivers uploading their photos to other driver accounts - with passengers' safety potentially put at risk getting into cars with unlicensed and suspended drivers." This seems, from a technical perspective, an easy problem to solve with the resources of a public company. Is it the desperation of people who need the…

How do you stop one person signing up, doing the whole verification process correctly and then someone else using the app/driving the car? The only safeguard that springs to mind is providing a photo of the driver to the user, but that's already implemented. You could also do spot checks (no idea if they do or not), but that's not going to eliminate the problem just reduce it.

They have had this since 2016[0]. The problem is you have uber logic behind it. The only time it asks me to verify is when I'm on the highway and turn the app off and back on. I guess they think I'm tossing the phone to the car next to me while going 65?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2...

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#34

Post by thesimon »

Traster wrote: post #23

It's pretty amazing how consistently Uber fails to abide by even the most basic regulations. How many times does a billion dollar company get a second chance? Every time this happens people talk about how the Mayor will get in trouble for this, but let's face it, ride hailing apps are 10 a penny. Lyft, Taxify, MyTaxi? No one in London is going to miss Uber.

> Taxify

Bolt

> MyTaxi

FREE NOW

:)

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#35

Post by browsermostly »

TFL should actually provide a reliable service if they want to start pointing fingers. They talk about security and safety but it's not safe to have to wait around hoping for the off chance a scammy black cab will spot you after your TFL train gets cancelled for whatever reason.

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#36

Post by JazCE »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #31
onion2k wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems, from a technical perspective, an easy problem to solve with the resources of a public company. Is it the desperation of people who need the money so badly they will constantly cheat the system? Can you design for that? I don't think the motivation on the part of the drivers who do this is very important. They're intentionally deceiving Uber customers, and in some cases endangering them. That just has to s…

Other than constant facial recognition via camera pointed at the driver, how does anyone (not just Uber), guarantee that an approved driver doesn’t get out of the car and a non approved driver get in and start driving? Perhaps a selfie with the driver taken by the passengers during the drive would also suffice. In my opinion, Uber has done enough. They provide the passenger with the drivers name and photo. It’s up to…

using the fingerprint reader on a phone to accept any job?

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#37

Post by UK-Al05 »

_vrmm wrote: post #10

I know this opinion is not popular but I'm so happy everytime I see bad news for Uber and all these companies that only exist thanks to basically exploiting THEIR workers. Private transporting is not sustainable and it is not something that has to be affordable for everyone, even less by lowering workers wages or playing with the tariffs by demand. Taxi regulations gives us passengers safety and fair prices. There ar…

"regulations gives us passengers safety and fair prices." - We had these before Uber, and it was worse.

Uber has pushed up quality in general. Market pressure is often a better way of doing these things rather trying to have a central inspector who can't see everything all of the time.

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#38

Post by gorgoiler »

daneyh wrote: post #29
_vrmm wrote: post #10

I know this opinion is not popular but I'm so happy everytime I see bad news for Uber and all these companies that only exist thanks to basically exploiting THEIR workers. Private transporting is not sustainable and it is not something that has to be affordable for everyone, even less by lowering workers wages or playing with the tariffs by demand. Taxi regulations gives us passengers safety and fair prices. There ar…

Typically i'd agree with your sentiment. Unfortunately I remember what getting around was like pre-Uber and that unregulated minicab companies are no better for workers exploitation or working rights and passenger safety...where is TfL(Transport for Londons) action on those firms? or the many uber clones that have popped up recently (Bolt, Kapten et al.) Uber is really an easy target for them. The alternative is the…

It seems pretty common for public policy (in your example, minicab provision and regulation) to first fail and then for the rise of Uber to be promoted by the faithful as an alternative solution.

In reality, Uber’s existence, no matter what the company or its supporters might say, is simply a different way of highlighting the very same failure in public policy.

The poor have no bread? Let them eat cake. The citizens need an out of hours ride home from the pub? Page a Prius.

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#39

Post by goatinaboat »

samwillis wrote: post #5

The article doesn't really explain... their current temporary license (they have been on a temp one since last year) expires at 11.59 tonight, TFL won't give them a new permanent one. This will be in the courts today and they will probably be granted another temporary one before the day is out.

Indeed, this action is meaningless until Uber execs are getting hauled off for contempt of court. It’s barely even a slap on the wrist.

Re: Uber loses licence to operate in London, will still operate while appealing

#40

Post by us0r »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #31
onion2k wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems, from a technical perspective, an easy problem to solve with the resources of a public company. Is it the desperation of people who need the money so badly they will constantly cheat the system? Can you design for that? I don't think the motivation on the part of the drivers who do this is very important. They're intentionally deceiving Uber customers, and in some cases endangering them. That just has to s…

Other than constant facial recognition via camera pointed at the driver, how does anyone (not just Uber), guarantee that an approved driver doesn’t get out of the car and a non approved driver get in and start driving? Perhaps a selfie with the driver taken by the passengers during the drive would also suffice. In my opinion, Uber has done enough. They provide the passenger with the drivers name and photo. It’s up to…

>It’s up to the passenger to verify, but Uber should make violations easy to report.

They are. Click a trip, scroll down, click "my driver was unprofessional", click "my driver didnt match the profile in my app".

The problem is most people dont report stuff to uber. I hear stories all the time from people and everytime I ask if they reported the driver they say no.

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