No more Uber !

[Mick Mac]

http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-lost-licence-operate-london-2017-9

[JohnL]

"According to Guido Fawkes reporter Alex Wickham Uber wasn't aware of TfL's decision until one minute before the regulator tweeted its statement out publicly."

Well they were all talking about it on Sky News this morning.

[Blackcurrant]

they won't stop running until the appeal process is exhausted, which could be years away.

[JohnL]

I haven't taken a cab (black cab or uber) for years - bus and tubes and walking for me.

[binkylilyput]

I know, the news popped up on my phone.

This is a disaster for me! I LOVE Uber.....half the time UberPool is hardly more than public transport.

If Deliveroo gets cancelled in London as well then I'm leaving......

[Blah Blah]

Uber have had plenty of time to stop breaching the licensing regulations and have only themselves to blame. Hopefully, during the appeal, they will make the necessary changes to get their licence back. 30,000 driver jobs are at risk if they don't.

[Loz]

This could be a rare political mis-step for Khan if Uber do actually stop operating in London. It would be tremendously unpopular.

[robbin]

Incredibly unpopular.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Agree with you both Blah and Loz.

I'm guessing that Khan is relying on the fact that Uber will now make some concessions and be able to continue operating.

[binkylilyput]

I am very hopeful that Uber will do the necessary!

I've chatted with many Uber drivers (as you do on a ride home, cue Peter Kay "been busy?")and haven't yet had one complain about working for Uber, they all say it works well for them. This includes a friend's husband who uses Uber work to subsidise his other income. Obviously I don't really know the ins and outs though and I would always support workers being treated fairly.

Khan has got to be pretty confident on this one.

[JohnL]

Once Uber was the only taxi company left prices would soar - it makes a loss at the moment.

Maybe encourage the competition then let them back when they have no chance of a monopoly.

[ali2007]

Uber encourages 'dumbing down'

what about Black Cab drivers who have spent years learning 'the knowledge' only to get priced out by cab drivers who don't know one street name. London is special because of Black Cab drivers who can get you from A to B without having to use an app. If Uber gets their license back, we'll be like every other international city with cab drivers that don't know their arse from their elbow. Anyone whose tried a yellow cab in New York knows what I mean.

I welcome this...

[edcam]

They'll have to when their licence runs out.

Blackcurrant Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> they won't stop running until the appeal process

> is exhausted, which could be years away.

[JohnL]

Just read Uber wants market share and fast (it's making huge losses) so it is in pole position to implement driverless taxis.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2017/07/10/uber-has-pole-position-in-race-to-develop-driverless-cars/#56355e5c7ab0

so then the driver issue goes (along with those jobs too) - and we are apparently not far off.

[Loz]

edcam Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Blackcurrant Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> > they won't stop running until the appeal process

> > is exhausted, which could be years away.

> They'll have to when their licence runs out.

>

Nope - Khan has already said if they appeal they can keep going until the legal process is complete.

[Loz]

ali2007 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Uber encourages 'dumbing down'

> what about Black Cab drivers who have spent years

> learning 'the knowledge' only to get priced out by

> cab drivers who don't know one street name.

> London is special because of Black Cab drivers who

> can get you from A to B without having to use an app.

Providing A and B involve the limited area around the City and the west end. Outside there, a black cab driver will turn to satnav as well.

In this day and age, the Knowledge is not a big advantage.

[KidKruger]

I can always tell Uner driver best route somewhere, and anyway they have satnav etc.

The black cab tradition is now a fetish for the tourists (unless your strapped for Ubers).

[malumbu]

Delta cars are great. Use them once in a blue moon to get to Gatwick - good price (?45), good cars and good drivers. ?45 was what I paid in an incredibly expensive black cab ride home from East Croydon one night.

But oh dear, what will the LTDA have to complain about nowadays? Their three hates were Uber, The Mayor and cyclists. Now down to one.

And what will cabbies have to call into LBC and Radio London about - they seem to be the main people with free time on their hands to put the world to right.

And with all this free time why are'nt any of you on this site?

Anyway, irrespective of Uber, who are a bid dodgy but have changed the market (Sounds a bit like Ryanair), black cabs are under powered, over weight, polluting, and blocking up much of cettral London at this time of night. The regulations needs to be modernised to allow them to respond to market conditions, rather than control numbers that puts the value of the license plate through the roof.

And where were the cabbies during Wapping and Orgreave? Probably phoning LBC to complain about Northerners.

There are quite a few gauntlets laid down there.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I wouldn't be surprised if TfL has it's own version to replace Uber.

While Uber is convenient, it is unregulated and they have not complied. Possibly Corporate arrogance.

"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 to how medical certificates are obtained.

Its approach to how Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are obtained.

Its approach to explaining the use of Greyball in London - software that could be used to block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app and prevent officials from undertaking regulatory or law enforcement duties."

[miga]

Loz Wrote:

---------------------------------

> Providing A and B involve the limited area around

> the City and the west end. Outside there, a black

> cab driver will turn to satnav as well.

Zackly - my experience of "the Knowledge" is that it's pretty sparse in the burbs (which it shouldn't be as it's a pretty long x-mile radius of Charing Cross). Then there's the "not on my way home mate", "not going that way" and all the other bollocks. Not to mention that as a cycke commuter, I find them the one group of road users I'm constantly justified in giving a wide berth (on account of random road behaviour).

Uber's a big player, but I bet pound for pound they're much less dangerous and much more compliant to regs than a lot of the local mini cab offices (E&C and Brixton offices late at night in years gone by spring to mind).

And workers' rights? I hope the anti-Uber bores are consistent in their boycotts....coz there are far, far worse offenders.

[Loz]

Jules-and-Boo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I wouldn't be surprised if TfL has it's own version to replace Uber.

There's Hailo/myTaxi and Gett already. Black cab drivers have long rallied against apps and card payments. I suspect they don't like the paper trail.

It also means they have had their big privilege nullified... being able to pick up from the street. But since Uber, who stands on the street in the vague hope some black cab is going to be passing (and, as others have pointed out, deem your journey to be acceptable to them)? Open app, book journey, sit inside until you get buzzed.

Uber does have one big advantage, though - you can use it in places across the world.

[rendelharris]

miga Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Not to mention that as a cycke commuter,

> I find them the one group of road users I'm

> constantly justified in giving a wide berth (on

> account of random road behaviour).

True that - proportionately more dangerous behaviour from black cabs than from any other group of road users in my experience, not to mention the amount of moaning about bike lanes etc one gets as a passenger. On the plus side if you're double punctured with only one tube they are generally willing to let one put the bike in the back!

ETA Also, anecdotally, I've seen firsthand with black mates how many cabs will just drive by if a black person hails them...

[Blah Blah]

I see the Black Cab complaints as those of luddites. The technology is there, it is already being used and the caariage office refuses to modernise with it. There is only ever one outcome to business models that don;t move with the times. As someone has pointed out, the carriage office wants a monopoly only to keep prices as high as possible. Even before Uber, black cabs complained about private mini cab companies. The Last time I took a Black Cab (years ago) it was at night from Lewisham Stn (off the last train) to Nunhead, and it cost ?17 - completely ridiculous. They charge for time and distance, and no of people, and pieces of luggage and there is a standing charge before the cab even moves anywhere too. All ways of racking up the fare. A mini cab would have cost ?6. That is why there is so little sympathy for the carriage office.

[cella]

Uber are a disreputable company and very arrogant. Theirs is not a good business model. Maybe Sadiq Khan is gambling with this approach with the hope that whilst going through the appeal process Uber will undertake a thorough review of itself and come back with conciliatory gestures.

[JohnL]

It seems competition is required but Uber do have some dodgy practices

Maybe black cabs are touristy :) I do recall 10 years ago getting a black cab (last taxi ride i did) from London bridge to Peckham and the retort was 'what you want to go down there for gov'