Uber

[pugsville]

. An hour later and I gave up and luckily found a cab just near my street.

. With Uber the longest I waited was 9 minutes.

make your mind up? Which is it?

 

[kickazz]

All Uber are offering is a despatch service and they are taking much more of the cut than existing despatch services, they are outsources all the costs, the drivers get much what they get from the existing system except they have to obtain and maintain a car as well. (the 80% of a recused fair is remarkably close to 50% of the existing fare)

uber is a complete dictatorship not libertarian, they set prices and can just cut out a driver for no reason what so ever you work only at their conveniance , the Driver is totally dependant without any rights in their dealings with Uber.

Yeah good point. I thought there was a libertarian angle because a level of bureaucracy is taken out; but indeed that bureaucracy has just been replaced with a more profit driven dictatorship.

Still, if this market is so error for the picking, what stops another company to rival Uber with a strategy of modest margins but potentially increased volume via a more attractive deal for drivers?

 

[pugsville]

Yeah good point. I thought there was a libertarian angle because a level of bureaucracy is taken out; but indeed that bureaucracy has just been replaced with a more profit driven dictatorship.

Still, if this market is so error for the picking, what stops another company to rival Uber with a strategy of modest margins but potentially increased volume via a more attractive deal for drivers?

It would be much harder for a second service to come in and get the profile. Everyone has Uber in their heads. How are you going to attract the drivers and customers across without large costs?

Uber is only handling a tiny fraction of the taxi volume right now. Uber will probably never take over from taxis in any real sense, as Uber relies on the Drives subsidising the Uber business model, by taking all the Car maintain expenses on himself.

What is the difference between Uber and Taxis and why won't the same problems lead to the same sorts of drivers?

The high Value taxi work has passed to the premium taxis srvice/hire cars some time ago. I cannot see Uber being successful in capturing that work. The Business card taxis of the past offered a premium service that worked for good customers migrated to hire cars and Uber cannot compete at the premium end of the market as the small operator offers the same, small group of owner drivers who know what they are doing.

 

[Mofra]

Still, if this market is so error for the picking, what stops another company to rival Uber with a strategy of modest margins but potentially increased volume via a more attractive deal for drivers?

Lyft in the US has already taken a huge share of Uber's business.
I used it quite a bit in the US - many drivers actually drive for both at the same time and just pick up the first customer on either platform.

People are migrating to Lyft simply because Lyft doesn't charge surge pricing - waiting at the baseball to go home we used Lyft and regardless of the wait we paid standard pricing only.

 

[The Lemon]

People are migrating to Lyft simply because Lyft doesn't charge surge pricing - waiting at the baseball to go home we used Lyft and regardless of the wait we paid standard pricing only.

eventually the surge pricing will go. Looking forward to that as a user...poor drivers though

 

[PP34]

make your mind up? Which is it?

I was clearly talking about a previous experience.

 

[ash_1050]

The government gouged taxi drivers for a taxi license so it's only natural they are going to want a slice of the Uber pie as well. A $2 surcharge isn't the end of the world and helps to keep a level playing field.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

The government gouged taxi drivers for a taxi license so it's only natural they are going to want a slice of the Uber pie as well. A $2 surcharge isn't the end of the world and helps to keep a level playing field.

The treatment the taxi industry has received from this debacle is deplorable and the owner-drivers, who generally provide the best service, are the ones who got hit the hardest. All hire car operators should be jumping through the same hoops, and those hoops should be brought back down to earth. Uber and apps like it are the future, yet the government is preventing the taxi industry from adapting and improving by refusing to alter the ridiculous cost of licences.

 

[ash_1050]

The treatment the taxi industry has received from this debacle is deplorable and the owner-drivers, who generally provide the best service, are the ones who got hit the hardest. All hire car operators should be jumping through the same hoops, and those hoops should be brought back down to earth. Uber and apps like it are the future, yet the government is preventing the taxi industry from adapting and improving by refusing to alter the ridiculous cost of licences.

From what I've read they're doing a large scale buyback of taxi licenses, which is fair enough.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

Lyft in the US has already taken a huge share of Uber's business.
I used it quite a bit in the US - many drivers actually drive for both at the same time and just pick up the first customer on either platform.

People are migrating to Lyft simply because Lyft doesn't charge surge pricing - waiting at the baseball to go home we used Lyft and regardless of the wait we paid standard pricing only.

Lyft certainly does charge surge pricing.
The main difference between the 2 is that there is no tipping mechanism in Uber, but there is in Lyft. So fares are slightly cheaper in Lyft, but there is a chance that drivers expect a tip.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Untill Uber demands me and my brother pay half our fee upfront like every second taxi does(then being basically told by the cab company to piss off we dont care). I won't be catching a taxi ever again

 

[The Lemon]

Untill Uber demands me and my brother pay half our fee upfront like every second taxi does(then being basically told by the cab company to piss off we dont care). I won't be catching a taxi ever again

word

**** taxis.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

not sure if mentioned in thread but was surprised this didn't get more traction

http://www.smh.com.au/business/innovation/ubers-latest-hire-allan-fels-20160504-gom7la.html

 

[PP34]

Untill Uber demands me and my brother pay half our fee upfront like every second taxi does(then being basically told by the cab company to piss off we dont care). I won't be catching a taxi ever again

Even better is that 75% of the cabbies I've had act like you're being some kind of nuisance for them simply by requesting a ride.

Dickheads.

 

[Sinjin Smith]

To be honest, the levy does make sense. It was legislated that you needed to purchase a super expensive licence to operate a cab, now they've changed that legislation and some form of compensation is warranted.

That said, it will be super interesting to see whether the taxi industry even bothers to improve their game or just slowly withers away and dies.

You did need to purchase a licence/plate to operate a taxi however it came with no guarantees nor warnings about future value loss whatever the cause, in this case a better and more sophisticated service. The compo is bullshit. The taxi industry (and to some extend government) in itself never bothered to make improvements, utilise new tech (until recently, too little too late) and employed drivers with questionable skill and conduct without ever taking complaints seriously.

It's a bit heartless in some cases but as an industry **** them, they had an eternity to get their shit together and didn't, now a levy is applied to the consumer to appease an industry that thought they were untouchable, sat on their hands and now just bitch and moan about how it's unfair. There been no self recognition of their issues nor ability to adapt, just the usual ****ing moaning and now they get compo. They're ****ing useless.

 

[Smoooothy]

Is anyone here an Uber driver? Is it something you enjoy?

 

[kirsti]

My partner and I are full-time cabbies from Broken Hill we both drive a wheelchair accessible maxi cab.

Both of us really love being a Yellow Cabbie and we take pride in our roles. We both work the same days and each day is so different with the interesting customers we get to meet each day.

A large part of our day is transporting the wheelchair bound locals to their shopping, banking, medical and social outings. We both have had to transport wheelchair bound passengers hundreds of km out of town across time zones and kangaroos and emus in abundance.

The landscape, climate, sunrise and sunsets are amazing we are so lucky to drive our yellow cabs each day in Broken Hill.

 

[The Lemon]

I must admit all dealings I had with wheelchair accessible cabs in Melbourne were great. The drivers are so much better. Would give number and would always drop everything and come when needed.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

You did need to purchase a licence/plate to operate a taxi however it came with no guarantees nor warnings about future value loss whatever the cause, in this case a better and more sophisticated service. The compo is bullshit. The taxi industry (and to some extend government) in itself never bothered to make improvements, utilise new tech (until recently, too little too late) and employed drivers with questionable skill and conduct without ever taking complaints seriously.

It's a bit heartless in some cases but as an industry **** them, they had an eternity to get their shit together and didn't, now a levy is applied to the consumer to appease an industry that thought they were untouchable, sat on their hands and now just bitch and moan about how it's unfair. There been no self recognition of their issues nor ability to adapt, just the usual ******* moaning and now they get compo. They're ******* useless.

I agree that Uber is a much better service and the taxi industry has been stagnate for far too long. However, a licence fee was imposed on the industry and then a competitor came along that wasnt bound by the same licence fee. Inherently that is unfair

That said, i havent caught a taxi in a couple of years and i can't see myself taking one again when Uber and Lyft are so much better

 

[Bomberboyokay]

The 13Cabs app here hasn't been updated or modified since I first downloaded it two years ago, and trying to ring up a cab can be near impossible at times.

Oh yeah that was/is a piece of shit when I tried using it years ago. Think I made a post about it in this thread.

13CABS call waiting music in 2011 was still a rip off of a song that was popular in 2002



For all their moaning (reasonable and unreasonable), the Melbourne taxi industry did not give a shit about service until Uber came and derailed the gravy train.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Is it awkward that I sit in the back in an Uber?

 

[Footypie32]

Is it awkward that I sit in the back in an Uber?

If it's a coupé, then yes.

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

Worse thing about Uber is surge pricing - seems to magically turn on just when you need it.

 

[Eagle got a win]

Is anyone here an Uber driver? Is it something you enjoy?

Was thinking about doing it for couple hours after my real job for some holiday money.
Think it would be pretty easy stressfree job.

 

[kickazz]

Was thinking about doing it for couple hours after my real job for some holiday money.
Think it would be pretty easy stressfree job.

Driving in traffic can be at times stressful, and I'd be worried about having an accident (i don't think uber provide insurance, and your private insurance would not pay out).
Apart from that it could be alright though. Get to meet some people, and let's face it, most people are pretty good.