Taxi Driver Online

Useful photo here

Just over four miles, by the looks of it

But this kind of makes it sound like it's the first time a PHD has ever plied for hire


Shocked concert-goer says Uber driver 'demanded £50 in cash' after Co-op Live gig

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... r-32534717

"He demanded £50 in cash - I said, you must be having a laugh"

https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnews.c ... sign-3.jpg

A man who came to Manchester for a gig at the Co-op Live was left shocked after an Uber driver allegedly attempted to charge him double the advertised rate to get back to his hotel.

Aaran Lennox, 35, said he had driven from his home in Llandudno to the Village Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne with his partner, to attend the Lewis Capaldi concert which took place on Sunday night (September 21).

"We had a couple of drinks, so obviously didn't drive," he told the Manchester Evening News. "We took an Uber to the concert, which cost about £20, and we booked it with no problems."

"After the concert, we came out, and went down to the Etihad tram stop. It was obviously absolutely rammed, and there wasn't another tram for 20 minutes.

"So we thought we'd just get a taxi. Uber was saying it would cost around £19-20 like last time."

Aaran says he and his partner then walked to the taxi rank. "We spoke to a couple [of drivers] and they said they wouldn't take us. They can obviously pick and choose what journeys they want to do.

"We then tried a third driver, and he demanded £50, in cash.

"I said, you must be having a laugh, I only paid £20 to get here. He said, if you want to go, you'll pay. I thought, this guy is just trying to rob me."

The couple walked off and eventually hailed a black cab for £20 - but not before Aaran took a picture of the Uber taxi and tweeted a picture of it to Uber.

"I thought nothing of it, but the next day Uber got in touch. They said they had looked into the number plate and confirmed that it was an Uber driver, and that they would be investigating."

Aaran says he is worried about what the impact of such behaviour could have, in an area where demand for taxis is often sky-high immediately after gigs when public transport is overwhelmed.

"I thought, what if my partner had been on her own?" he said. "This guy started off demanding £50 but he could easily have doubled that.

"If Uber is quoting me £19 and you are saying £50, there's something not right there. And I'm sure I'm not the only person he is doing that to."

In messages sent to Aaran from Uber and seen by the Manchester Evening News, a customer service representative for Uber said they would be 'following up' with this driver to 'take the appropriate actions internally'.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Uber said: "“It is illegal for private hire drivers to ply for hire and any drivers who are found to do this will be removed from the Uber platform.

"Full driver and vehicle details are shown in the Uber app so passengers can ensure they are getting into the right car.”

Well that's him gone, if Uber is to be believed here...

But whether there's any council involvement is anyone's guess, but of course Uber will know what council he's badged and plated with - I wonder if they routinely report stuff like this to the licensing authority?