Taxi Driver Online

The word 'onboard' isn't used in the piece, but for the thread title I thought I'd go with the flow, kind of thing

But this kind of speaks for itself. Think I've got all the screengrabs of the Uber app displayed here, but I think the final one is just a link because it was huge compared with the others...


How easy is it to get an Uber in Aberdeen? I booked trips every day for a week to find out

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... -aberdeen/

I've only ever been successful getting one Uber in the Granite City before, and that was last year. Have things improved, or is it still a challenge to get a ride home?

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I’ve only ever managed to book an Uber in Aberdeen once before, and that was last year.

When the ride-hailing firm announced its triumphant arrival, I was one of the people genuinely excited to see Uber come to the Granite City.

Having reported on long taxi queues, and experienced them myself, I thought it would be a much-needed shake-up.

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But it didn’t take off quite as everyone expected.

Every time I tried to book, the ride would get cancelled.

Eventually, I deleted the app altogether, only downloading it again while visiting Glasgow – where you can get one almost instantly.

In December, when I was chatting to revellers waiting at the ranks after Christmas nights out, plenty of people asked the same question: “Where is Uber?”

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With a new taxi consultation now proposing to scrap the onerous Street Knowledge Test for some private hires, which could help to boost the American firm’s city fleet, I decided to give Uber another go.

Have things improved?

Did I get an Uber in Aberdeen on my first go?

I thought I would try to book an Uber every day for a week to get a picture of the situation.

Around 10am on a March Monday, I opened the Uber app not expecting much. I couldn’t see any drivers nearby — exactly like before, when I’d wait ages only to be told no one was available.

Still, I entered my pick‑up and drop‑off points.

To my surprise, it instantly confirmed a driver would be with me in five minutes.



I grabbed my jacket and purse and dashed down from P&J HQ on Broad Street to catch my ride to the Beach Ballroom.

I’m not sure why I picked that destination, but thankfully it was sunny enough for a trip to the beach.

And I’m not waiting long before the green Insignia pulls up outside.

The driver was friendly and, as I left, told me to “keep ordering Ubers”. He admitted there still aren’t too many drivers yet, but the numbers are growing.

My trip also only cost £2.07 because of a special offer, which felt like a win.

But was it just a fluke?

How easy is it to get a ride in the evening?

On Tuesday, I wanted to see what it was like a little bit later on during the day.

So at around 7.40pm I returned to the Uber app.

I’d been in Old Aberdeen and was needing to head to Tesco in Danestone, so I thought it would be a good time to test it out in a different location than the city centre.

Immediately, I see four cars nearby which is promising.



I have to wait around six minutes before I’m picked up by a driver. He tells me he’s finishing his shift soon and it had been a busy enough evening.

He even offers to wait outside while I pop into Tesco — a nice touch.

This seven-minute journey cost £14.53.

What about getting picked up from ARI?

I wanted to see how easy it would be to get an Uber from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and decided to give it a try on Wednesday.

At first, the map showed only one available car across the whole city, with an eight‑minute wait and a fare of £13.86.

A notice warned: “Fares are slightly higher due to increased demand.”



Moments later, three more cars popped up and the fare dropped. The app predicted a four‑minute wait, so I booked.

A nice grey BMW soon pulled up outside ARI’s main entrance, and we were on our way.

The driver said it had been a steady night, and laughed when I told him he’d been the only car showing on the map.

He explained the app isn’t always accurate — when drivers are on trips, they don’t show up, even if they’re about to finish a job near you.

In other words, you won’t really know until you try.

This four minute journey cost £10.34.

Did my luck run out?

On Thursday, I thought I’d try to get an Uber from Berryden to my gym in the city centre.

The app initially warned it was busy, with a surge‑priced fare of £14.17. But by the time I booked, the price had reduced.



Once again, a different driver picked me up — which I was quite relieved about, given the number of rides I was booking for this experiment of mine.

He mentioned it had actually been busier that morning with commuters.

The seven minute ride cost £12.52.

Did we make our Friday night dinner booking on time?

On my final test day, my partner Doug and I were heading out to Tarragon by Graham Mitchell for dinner.

He suggested I try scheduling an Uber 45 minutes in advance of our trip to Rosemount — but the app wouldn’t let me.

It kept coming back with “something went wrong”, advising me to try requesting an on-demand trip.



By this point, any ride would take around 20 minutes to arrive, so I requested one.

The app said it would find a driver by 7.03pm, then pushed the estimate to 7.08pm.

We had a table booked in 20 minutes, so I was starting to get nervous.

Eventually a driver was assigned — but was not due until 7.24pm.

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Thankfully the restaurant was understanding when I called and held our table an extra ten minutes.

That 10 minute trip cost £15.99, the most expensive ride so far.

Doug then suggested it might be worth booking one for the way home, but again I had the same issue.

Luckily, when we finished our meal and we were ready to go home a driver was with us in four minutes.

The return journey cost £14.

At £30 in total, the overall cost did make me stop and think. It seemed quite steep just to get to and from the restaurant, and I’m not too sure if I’d pay it again.

But by the time we’d waited to get a ride into town, it was too late to find a cheaper alternative.

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Do you think it’s easier to get an Uber in Aberdeen now, or is it still a challenge? Let us know in our comments section below

So, is it easier to get an Uber in Aberdeen now?

I’m slightly worried this is starting to sound like an ad for Uber.

But the truth is — I started this because I struggled so much to use the service after it launched in 2024.

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Especially when I’d visit Glasgow or Edinburgh and see how effortlessly it worked there.

I fully expected similar frustration this time: long waits, cancellations, and a lack of available drivers.

Instead, every single time I booked, I got a ride — and a different driver each time.

Problems on a Friday night do perhaps indicate that numbers, understood to be about 40, are not what they could be.

But the app is good at warning when it’s busy or when prices are higher, and the live tracking is helpful. The safety features are impressive, too.

Both Rainbow City and Aberdeen Taxis have apps too, of course, which customers can consult before choosing which firm to book with.

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Things have definitely improved since last year where all my rides went “unfulfilled”, but I did think some of the fares were a little on the pricier side.

Hopefully the service keeps getting smoother the more we use it, and as more drivers sign up.

But is Uber the answer to Aberdeen taxi woes?

The Calfornian firm insists that scrapping Aberdeen’s Street Knowledge Test, allowing them to increase driver numbers, is a necessary step.

But the city’s taxi bosses tell a different story, insisting there is no need to rewrite licensing rules.

They say any crisis in Aberdeen is already being fixed, arguing that the council should roll out more testing to get more drivers on the road.

Rainbow City Taxis boss Russell McLeod said: “It has taken 43 years for Rainbow to get where it is.

“And they want to do it in 43 weeks.”

You can have your say on reforming the Aberdeen taxi trade by taking part in the council’s consultation HERE.

A bit too late to deny that it's an advertisement for Uber

And, in the context of the Press & Journal and Evening Express's coverage of all this in the round, maybe a relentless barrage of propaganda would be a better way of putting it