Uber in the Black Country: Taxi associations have concerns over serviceAmbiguous fares and a poor deal for drivers are among concerns raised by Black Country taxi associations following the arrival of industry giants Uber.The app-based service has proved a hit with passengers in cities including London and Birmingham and has now been rolled out to Wolverhampton, Dudley and Walsall.
But some existing drivers are not as happy that the San Francisco-based firm has extended its reach into their patch.
Black Country drivers have been told would be subject to 25 percent commission on their fares if they sign-up to Uber.
Parminder Sekhon, chairman of the Taxi Owners Association, said there were concerns for passengers too.
“One of the biggest problems is that there is no transparency with their fare structure,” he explained.
“A student I know who uses the service in Manchester went from their digs to the very same place on three separate occasions and paid a different fare each time.”
Mr Sekhon also questioned whether Uber drivers will have the appropriate local knowledge.
He added: “Uber’s network in the region is predominately based around Birmingham. When people get a driver to pick them up in Wolverhampton the chances will be it will be an out-of-borough driver.
“They won’t have the knowledge of Wolverhampton. A lot of people are going to find out the hard way that they are dealing with a big robot basically.”
Sonny Dhillon, spokesman for the Wolverhampton Private Hire Association, described the 25 percent commission taken from Uber drivers as an ‘incredible’ amount.
But he said Uber could be an option for drivers currently struggling to make a living.
“Uber offers an extremely new dynamic,” he said.
“Drivers who have been traditionally Wolverhampton-plated can now work for Uber further afield.
“Private hire drivers fed up of not making money in Wolverhampton now have the opportunity to work outside the city.
“From that point of view it is an extremely exciting time.”
Protests against the expansion of Uber have taken place around the world everywhere from London to Melbourne.
Some of the more extreme protests have included traffic blockades, Uber cars being set on fire and the firm’s drivers being intimidated.
Many non-Uber drivers argue the firm operates does not have to adhere to the same regulations and fees imposed on their taxis.
When using Uber there are no telephone calls to book a private cab as everything is done through the app in less than a few minutes.
And GPS is used to put passengers in touch with the closest drivers to the pick-up location.
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