Taxi Driver Online

Ooo, this is interesting

And another slew of articles, papers and documents to wade through. If anyone can be bothered...

This is the official news release, and the link to the website below is at the bottom of the news release.

But I wonder how Uber will react to this?

Of course, they tend to just ignore adverse publicity. But this seems to be a bit more organised than the usual local opposition (or at least it's 'organised' in the online presence sense).

(And the FAQs has caveats about possible false claims against Uber and correcting any factual errors etc. Of course, there's an endless slew of nonsense about Uber online, and has been for years. But they tend to just ignore it unless it's high profile stuff in the press or whatever.)

But I wonder how they might react to some of this stuff...the authors of the site will have to be very wary about it all. You don't want to get on the wrong side of Uber if they're openly identifying themselves as the authors and organisers of this website )

But no surprises about who seem to be fronting this


Fife taxi trade launches Uber accountability website following licensing controversy

https://uberfife.com/news/press-releases/press-relase/

Fife taxi trade launches Uber accountability website following licensing controversy

A volunteer-led campaign involving taxi and private-hire operators and drivers across Fife has launched UberFife.com to scrutinise Uber’s local operation and the effectiveness of its regulation.

The launch follows Fife Council’s decision to grant Uber a booking office licence after 431 objections were ruled incompetent without their substantive grounds being heard. The application was subsequently approved under delegated powers.

The website brings together licensing documents, freedom of information requests, press coverage and information for drivers and passengers. It also examines Uber’s impact on the local economy and highlights the contribution of Fife’s established taxi businesses to their communities.

A confidential reporting form allows passengers, drivers and members of the public to submit concerns about journeys, conduct or suspected licensing breaches. Reports can be submitted anonymously and are checked before any decision on referral or publication. The campaign makes clear that an outside-area licence alone does not establish unlawful working.

James Glen, co-owner of St Andrews Taxis and a member of the campaign, said:

“Hundreds of people took the time to object, yet their concerns were never heard on their merits. The licence has been granted, but the questions about regulation and accountability remain.

“This website gives Fife somewhere to gather evidence, examine what is happening and keep those questions in public view. We want drivers to understand the economics before signing up, passengers to make informed choices, and the authorities to enforce the rules properly.

“We are open about our involvement in the taxi trade and our commercial interest. Readers can judge our arguments against the evidence we publish.”

The campaign invites contributions from across Fife, including documented experiences, relevant records and examples of local taxi businesses supporting their communities.

Website: https://uberfife.com

Press enquiries: https://uberfife.com/contact/


ENDS

Notes to editors:

Uber Fife is run by volunteers from Fife’s taxi and private-hire trade. It is not affiliated with Uber, Fife Council or Police Scotland. Submitting information to the website does not constitute a formal complaint to an authority.

Had a quick look at the FAQs page, and as a kick off the first question confirms my suspicion that the name of the campaign and website is a bit of a clanger. I mean, a campaign to oppose Uber in Fife is called Uber Fife

I mean, above it says "Uber Fife is opposed to Uber..."

Of course, there may be a degree of artifice involved in calling it Uber, but I think a bit more clarity would be a better way to do it.

And the FAQs contain the usual implication that Uber's cars and drivers aren't subject to the same licensing and regulation as the legacy trade

Although there is a degree of honesty in the FAQs about vested interests or whatever, although the usual slightly contradictory stuff about competition etc. And that's based on the allusions about different regulatory standards etc, so to that extent there's more than a sniff of the false premise in play.

Although to be fair there's a slew of information elsewhere on the website stating that Uber cars and drivers are licensed like any other cars and drivers. And will be badged and plated like us existing minions in Fife

Quite informative, actually, and there's good stuff about cross-bordering etc. (Or not, as the case generally is in Scotland, at least in the Wolverhampton sense...)

https://uberfife.com/regulation/

But the stuff claims that Uber cars won't be metered, and will be PHVs only

Which, to reiterate, is why they'll find Fife a tougher nut to crack than elsewhere - we're HC-dominated, not only on the ranks (obviously), but across the circuits as well. And the PHVs tend to have meters fitted.

And which is why they've apparently managed to recruit zero cars in Dundee, apparently, and currently with a limited fleet in Aberdeen.

Unless, of course, Uber somehow manage to modify their usual business model to accommodate metered cars, maybe - whether HC or PH. But I don't know anywhere else on the UK mainland where they've done that, so I suppose the odds are that it won't happen in Fife either.

(On the other hand, Fife Council couldn't make it any easier to get a badge, so to that extent it would be more like Edinburgh and Glasgow, where they've built a significant market share. And to that extent unlike Dundee and Aberdeen, with the latter's notorious knowledge test for HCDs and PHDs not working in Uber's favour.)

Uber wont give a monkeys about any of the stuff from the Uber Fife mob. (I mean how f***ing thick are they calling it that?)

Most of the real Uber Fife's punters will already be Uber punters from elsewhere in the country, or for that matter the world.

No doubt the existing trade will be looking on the app as to where the cars are, and who's driving them, but at the end of the day if drivers are earning good money out of it then they will remain real Uber Fife, if they don't then they will go elsewhere.

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IDFIMH

Still wondering how they intend going about it all

(By 'they' I mean Uber, not Uber Fife )

In terms of demand the St Andrews market is heaven sent for them - a huge student demographic, and an *international* demographic as well. And a huge golf and tourism demographic, too - and, again, a huge part of that is *international*.

From the supply side, on the other hand, there are barely any PHVs around here. And I don't think there are any at all working without meters and doing day-to-day 'taxiing'. (As opposed to exclusively tours, airport transfers and golf work etc.)

So there's certainly no ready made supply of cars and drivers ready to hop across to Uber from the legacy trade.

The demand demographic is different at the other end of Fife. And there's more of a proper PHV sector, I think, at least in terms of cars working for 'taxi' circuits. But, again, with meters and running on the Fife Council HC tariff

If Uber are serious in building up the Fife trade then they will open up their own knowledge school to encourage folks who aren’t currently involved with the local trade.

They will also arrange finance for vehicles, and subsidies work until they have sufficient cars working.

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IDFIMH

Presumably by 'knowledge school' you don't mean that in the usual sense.

Unless by 'knowledge' you mean filling in the new applicant forms

Maybe an office that will see them through the application process, and assist in any medical/driving tests that need to be undertaken.

I suspect if they are going down that route then adverts will soon be placed in local job centres.

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IDFIMH