Uber are getting shirty

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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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[redacted]

valiant

10,066 posts

159 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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How dare TfL insist that minicab drivers speak English to a decent standard and have the correct insurance!

Damn them to hell!!

I visited the Uber forum a little while ago (yes, there is one and I was bored) and to say they are an unhappy bunch is an understatement and this was before they hiked their fee to 25% of every fare. I guess the revolving door of new drivers is slowing down a tad and maybe, just maybe, Uber may look after their drivers (sorry, self employed contractors)a little better.

They're even advertising on the radio for new drivers which is a first for them.

Puggit

48,354 posts

247 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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Uber drivers are not Uber employees wink

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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Uber seems to have all kinds of drivers on all kinds of different arrangements.

A few drivers I've spoken to seem to drive for a few companies simultaneously. They might do a shift for some private hire company then do a bit of uber mid shift and then maybe work for someone else another day,

They don't ever to turn up in cars with other companies branding on them so I'm nott sue what the score is really.

I like uber though, especially their cashless payments and use of technology.

Oakey

27,523 posts

215 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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valiant said:
How dare TfL insist that minicab drivers speak English to a decent standard and have the correct insurance!

Damn them to hell!!

I visited the Uber forum a little while ago (yes, there is one and I was bored) and to say they are an unhappy bunch is an understatement and this was before they hiked their fee to 25% of every fare. I guess the revolving door of new drivers is slowing down a tad and maybe, just maybe, Uber may look after their drivers (sorry, self employed contractors)a little better.

They're even advertising on the radio for new drivers which is a first for them.
Yeah, they'll be really looking out for those drivers once they've cornered the market and replaced them all with those driverless cars they've ordered.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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Oakey said:
Yeah, they'll be really looking out for those drivers once they've cornered the market and replaced them all with those driverless cars they've ordered.
Driverless uber cars, that's the future of transport, I wonder how long it will take?

wiffmaster

2,602 posts

197 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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I with Uber on this one:

  • I don't care if my driver can't speak English particularly well. All they have to do is follow a little blue line on the map and hey presto, we're at our destination.
  • Why on Earth do TfL need to approve every change to the app? Why do drivers need to be insured when not driving?
  • The fact that they don't have to do all of the above is why Uber is so stunningly cheap compared to the alternatives (at least in London).
This whole thing is driven by pressure from the black cab drivers, yet instead of deregulating the black cab industry, they're proposing a load of red tape for the private hire industry. Protectionism through regulation is ridiculous - if we'd adopted that approach in the past, we'd still be ploughing fields using oxen.

Greenmantle

1,256 posts

107 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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I don't think driverless vehicles is in Uber's Business Plans.

Are they going to take on the capital leasing costs of driverless vehicles?
Do they want to manage broken down vehicles and repairs?

Their current model works well. As long as (i) they can snuff out any competition; (ii) they don't screw the rate so much so that it pisses off the drivers.

Basic Ponzi scheme attitude.

John

Oakey

27,523 posts

215 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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Greenmantle said:
I don't think driverless vehicles is in Uber's Business Plans.

Are they going to take on the capital leasing costs of driverless vehicles?
Do they want to manage broken down vehicles and repairs?

Their current model works well. As long as (i) they can snuff out any competition; (ii) they don't screw the rate so much so that it pisses off the drivers.

Basic Ponzi scheme attitude.

John
http://gizmodo.com/why-did-uber-just-order-100-000...


drainbrain

5,637 posts

110 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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As far as I know, Uber is another of these multibillion value companies with one small catch. The usual small catch.

It doesn't make any profit.

Digga

40,204 posts

282 months

Monday 8th August 2016
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wiffmaster said:
  • I don't care if my driver can't speak English particularly well. All they have to do is follow a little blue line on the map and hey presto, we're at our destination.
But how will you find out whether he's had a busy morning/afternoon/evening, what time his shift started, or which celebrities have used his cab?

The Mad Monk

10,474 posts

116 months

Wednesday 12th October 2016
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Digga said:
But how will you find out whether he's had a busy morning/afternoon/evening, what time his shift started, or which celebrities have used his cab?
Or ask you where you are going for your holidays.

Or is that barbers?

Digga

40,204 posts

282 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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I may be wrong, but I don't think that's how you spell Barbados.

Eric Mc

121,771 posts

264 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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Puggit said:
Uber drivers are not Uber employees wink
For non-employees Uber do seem to exercise an awful lot of control over them.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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When are these driverless ubers coming?

Someone said "sooner than you think" but that's not a particularly helpful answer. I am looking forward to getting in a driverless taxi. I don't want to try it first of course.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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Eric Mc said:
Puggit said:
Uber drivers are not Uber employees wink
For non-employees Uber do seem to exercise an awful lot of control over them.
A bit like, in the past, field sales employees who were classed by the company they worked for as self employed so they could get rid of them with greater ease should they need to. The problem is they demanded these people worked solely for them. They wanted the advantages of good/successful salesmen and non of the responsibility when it came to unsuccessful ones. We talk about responsibility, this seems the modern way, zero hours contracts and so on, companies wanting all the gain, all the flexibility and none of the baggage of proper employees.

BJG1

5,966 posts

211 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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el stovey said:
When are these driverless ubers coming?

Someone said "sooner than you think" but that's not a particularly helpful answer. I am looking forward to getting in a driverless taxi. I don't want to try it first of course.
Depends on Government regulation. They are being tested in Singapore and a couple of US cities now. My best guess is 5 years.

richardxjr

7,561 posts

209 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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drainbrain said:
As far as I know, Uber is another of these multibillion value companies with one small catch. The usual small catch.

It doesn't make any profit.
Our family enjoyed taking advantage of their recommend-a-friend thing during a week in Paris smile
(Each party got instant 10E credit, even if using the same credit card)

Also the drivers and service were good. Wouldn't have considered using Taxis, but this worked out cheaper than the Metro for getting around.








Eric Mc

121,771 posts

264 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
I'm really surprised that HMRC has not been all over Uber like a rash.

The Mad Monk

10,474 posts

116 months

Thursday 13th October 2016
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
I think that what Uber do - or the way they operate, is pretty common in the minicab business.