London cabbies to protest over smartphone app.

[sjg]

Haha, I actually think surge pricing makes a lot of sense and they're very explicit in the app about what's going on. And even at worst, it's still usually cheaper than a black cab.

[nitrodave]

sjg said:

Haha, I actually think surge pricing makes a lot of sense and they're very explicit in the app about what's going on. And even at worst, it's still usually cheaper than a black cab.

Uber have recently reduced their prices so it's now even cheaper than ever.

What used to be a £30+ black cab ride is now a £9-13 uber ride for me.

[Mr_B]

I could quite happily see the total ban on private cabs based on just their ( lack of ) driving standards alone. Black are made to look good by the total clueless idiots that drive these private cabs and who have no clue where they are going. As someone who spends their days driving in London, a far higher number of these are just dangerous robots fixated on a satnav telling them where to stop and go, usually with it stuck slap bang in the middle of the screen.

[nitrodave]

Mr_B said:

I could quite happily see the total ban on private cabs based on just their ( lack of ) driving standards alone. Black are made to look good by the total clueless idiots that drive these private cabs and who have no clue where they are going. As someone who spends their days driving in London, a far higher number of these are just dangerous robots fixated on a satnav telling them where to stop and go, usually with it stuck slap bang in the middle of the screen.

I drive A LOT through the city and black cabbies are the worst I reckon. Rarely indicate, swing out in front of whoever they like, never say thank you when you let them go, aggressive when you don't, will tailgate within millimetres and hoot n gesture at you if you don't pull away from the lights with instant reaction.

Can't wait to see them gone...

[BJG1]

TFL needs to allow Black Cabs to set their own rates, and simply put in place a maximum rather than a fixed one. It's a bit of a piss take to say 'market forces' but not allow black cab drivers to be competitive. If they still can't make it work, so be it, but we're tying their hands behind their backs at the moment. (I'm an Uber user and haven't got in a black cab for a year).

[Mr_B]

nitrodave said:

Mr_B said:

I could quite happily see the total ban on private cabs based on just their ( lack of ) driving standards alone. Black are made to look good by the total clueless idiots that drive these private cabs and who have no clue where they are going. As someone who spends their days driving in London, a far higher number of these are just dangerous robots fixated on a satnav telling them where to stop and go, usually with it stuck slap bang in the middle of the screen.

I drive A LOT through the city and black cabbies are the worst I reckon. Rarely indicate, swing out in front of whoever they like, never say thank you when you let them go, aggressive when you don't, will tailgate within millimetres and hoot n gesture at you if you don't pull away from the lights with instant reaction.

Can't wait to see them gone...

They are bad, but next to the clueless robots that are private cabs they at least know where they are going and don't jump on the brakes while there satnav freezes and the like. I get far more instances of this type of thing from private cabs. They really should be made to take some kinda test like HGV drivers or pay for a CPC type course. I have a special place in hell reserved for Addsion Lee drivers. If ever a GPS satellite when down, I think there would be private cabs driving round in circles for weeks trying to get home. These people really shouldn't be able to just get any car and satnav and be allowed to do this.

[BigMacDaddy]

It's an easy choice for me; I've never yet had an Uber driver refuse a fare because he doesn't fancy going the same way I am.......

I agree with the previous post about un-regulating black cab fares; let them set their own prices to compete on a level playing field, at the very least it'll be one less reason they can blame on someone else when they go extinct.......

[FourWheelDrift]

I'd have thought they would be more angry with the threat of banning diesels from central London.

After all this is the electric cab commercial van option they might all have to use - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/picturegalleri...

Haven't seen one myself, but that silly big thing will do nothing for London's congestion.

[kev1974]

I've seen one of those, they are indeed huge.

[brickwall]

glasgowrob said:

Interesting reading in this thread

Honestly think Uber are more a threat to the traditional Minicab companies than hacks though

Why would a driver pay a radio base up to £140 a week whether he works or not when he could instead pay über a flat 20% fee

This is also happening - Addison Lee have been decimated. Both customers and drivers have all migrated to Uber.

[CoolHands]

why dont the black cabbies sign up to uber. Seems obvious. They can ply for street fares when necessary and use uber when there's no rides. Best of both worlds.

[okgo]

CoolHands said:

why dont the black cabbies sign up to uber. Seems obvious. They can ply for street fares when necessary and use uber when there's no rides. Best of both worlds.

I was wondering that, there are so few black cabs on uber, but maybe its a principle thing...

[sjg]

Because other cab drivers will rat them out and threaten them.

http://order-order.com/2015/01/29/london-taxi-driv...

[KTF]

sjg said:

Because other cab drivers will rat them out and threaten them.

http://order-order.com/2015/01/29/london-taxi-driv...

Interesting comments as well. Some of them may have a slight bias from individuals who drive around in black cabs.

[Oakey]

The irony of using the modern wonder of technology to harass cabbies for using the modern wonder of technology for fares.

[hairyben]

glasgowrob said:

Interesting reading in this thread

Honestly think Uber are more a threat to the traditional Minicab companies than hacks though

They'll take a slice of both I think, a reasonable % of the hackneys trade must be people who'd otherwise not use them but find themselves in a bit of a spot through being somewhere unfamiliar or disorganised and needing to get A-B

The hackneys also have what must be tasty prime locations where you'd expect there to be a minicab office but there isn't one- heathrow terminal 3 as I found to my cost, obviously some kind of "agreement" going on there- where they can rinse people who're just desperate to get home, (if they "feel like going that way" at least) which uber (& other apps) will now utterly undermine due to it's ease/availability.

anonymous said:

[redacted]

yes, you're guaranteed scandalously high charges ALL the time.

Don't they have higher night rates though, so peak-charging in reality?

[Halb]

sjg said:

Because other cab drivers will rat them out and threaten them.

http://order-order.com/2015/01/29/london-taxi-driv...

Brilliant.
"I was based down in London for a long time. Three of us got a black cab from Paddington to Covent Garden one evening. Two of us were from oop north and the driver clocked it immediately. Can't imagine how :-)
We went twice around Manchester Square, and all three of us noticed. He then carried on by a circuitous route. We waited to see what would happen. Got dropped off at Covent Garden, and told what the fare was.
The third member of our party, who hadn't spoken so far, paid the cabbie, but not what he asked for. "I'm a Londoner," he said, in his unmistakable accent. "I don't like being p'ssed about by the likes of you. That's all you're getting. And you can f'ck off if you expect a tip".
Deeply, deeply satisfying"

[Countdown]

Halb said:

Brilliant.
"I was based down in London for a long time. Three of us got a black cab from Paddington to Covent Garden one evening. Two of us were from oop north and the driver clocked it immediately. Can't imagine how :-)
We went twice around Manchester Square, and all three of us noticed. He then carried on by a circuitous route. We waited to see what would happen. Got dropped off at Covent Garden, and told what the fare was.
The third member of our party, who hadn't spoken so far, paid the cabbie, but not what he asked for. "I'm a Londoner," he said, in his unmistakable accent. "I don't like being p'ssed about by the likes of you. That's all you're getting. And you can f'ck off if you expect a tip".
Deeply, deeply satisfying"

Being from "oop north" maybe he thought they'd want a good look at Manchester Square? So he went the "extra mile"? (geddit? )

I'll

[FourWheelDrift]

The French cabbies are doing it in a typically French way.

Usual burn tactics. - http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/25/8844649/french-t...

This has auto video & sound - http://www.thelocal.fr/20150625/french-taxi-driver...

[FourWheelDrift]

Je suis Uber.