Taxi Driver Online

christopherwk.

Yes, it is true the customer can choose between uber and uberx (the only two available in Manchester), The customer can most definitely choose the particular vehicle they want.
It is Not chosen by the App.
At the point of selecting the vehicle all the customer sees is ''available'' vehicles on their screen.
Driver and Vehicle details are only given to customers ''after'' the driver has accepted their request.
I also have their app on my phone so I know the other side of it as well.
Yes, they are a business and charge 20% and can charge whatever the market will accept.
But, along with ultra low fares it was not worth my while to work with them.
Fares start at £1.50 and drop to £1.30 per mile and the 20% is taken from that so effectively the driver gets £1.04 per mile.
Fixed rate operates from Manchester City to the Airport @£18 and leaves the driver with £14.40 after uber charges.
Hope this helps.

I would imagine that the seeing the driver function will lead to a number of rejected drivers.

Down here we have a rule that customers cannot request a white or a black driver, for whatever reasons.

The Uber way allows that, albeit indirectly.

_________________
IDFIMH

Thanks yes, I see what you mean. I didn't read your post closely enough.

You can (or you have to) choose the type of vehicle required (depending what you need), but can't choose the driver.

I've been using Uber as a passenger for the past year, and as a driver for the last 10 months, so I understand both sides too.

I just didn't get the distinction between [type of] vehicle and driver first time round.

Lol, so it looks like Bounce isn't going to be popular where you are?!

Besides on Uber, as soon as the driver accepts the job request (and the driver's photo, name and car reg and make then comes up on the passenger's phone), the passenger can cancel the job for any reason without charge, as long as it's done within the first five minutes.

Therefore if the passenger wants a white or a black driver, for whatever reason, and don't get what they want, they can simply cancel and request again and keep repeating until they do get what they want.

I wonder what Charles will make of it

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Minicab strike over Uber 'could bring Bolton to a standstill'


HUNDREDS of minicab drivers could bring Bolton to a standstill — after plans for a strike were voted through.

A meeting of Bolton’s Private Hire Operators Association saw 21 different operators, which control about 1100 cars, unanimously agree to take action after Bolton Council granted controversial smartphone-based minicab firm Uber a licence to operate in the borough.

It is yet to be decided when a strike could take place — but the group wants to do it before the May elections and is considering carrying it out on a bank holiday.

A meeting has been set for next week — but the council has agreed to meet with operators for discussions.

The news of potential strikes comes after The Bolton News revealed that Uber was granted a 12-month licence to operate in Bolton, which took effect on March 26.

Local firms are angry because they feel Uber — which allows customers to hail cars using a mobile phone application — does not have to adhere to the same licensing regulations as other private hire firms.

Asif Vali, the chair of the Bolton Private Hire Operators Association, said: “The drivers have a long-list of grievances with the council and I think Uber was the final nail in the coffin.

“Uber operates using time-related charges and the council doesn’t accept that for private hire cars, so how are they allowing this?

“There was 100 per cent backing for strike action from the 21 different operators— the message coming through was basically, if we have got a council that doesn’t listen to us, we may as well try to get one that does.

“We have more than 1,100 cars in the association and we could bring the town to a standstill.”

Mr Vali said that firms and drivers are reporting numerous difficulties with the licensing department.

He added: “Phone calls are taking a long time to come back to us and it is also taking up to four days for plates to be released — which means people are losing money while the car is off the road.

“The appointment waiting time for new drivers can be as long as nine months now, who is going to spend that much time unemployed to come into the trade?”

“We are saying that enough is enough now — I didn’t want this to be a political issue but it looks like it is now — there is an election coming up and we want a council that listens to us.”

Ozzy Patel, who runs Royal Express private hire firm, added: “We don’t think the council is making life easy for the drivers and they are not happy.

“Bolton Council is very strict with regulating its drivers but if these cars are all app based, how will they know who is driving where and when? They can’t track them.”

Bolton Council said Uber was being licensed under the same rules as all private hire operators.

A spokesman said: “Uber is bound by the requirements of private hire-related legislation and the conditions of its licence, which states that they must only operate vehicles and drivers licensed by Bolton Council.”

Responding to the issues raised by the operators, he said: “We appreciate that plates are no longer given on the same day as an application but if drivers renew in time they will get their plates in time.

“Unlike many other authorities, we still send reminder letters several weeks before vehicle plates expire.

“Vehicle plates are turned around in three working days and can be posted or collected.

“A driver with a new vehicle license will have to wait three working days for his plate but we have agreed to look at response times for new vehicles.”

A spokesman for Uber said: "Uber has to go through the same licensing process as all private hire operators in the local area and all drivers on the Uber platform are fully licensed and insured to carry passengers.

“Uber has to, and does, abide by the same rules that apply to all private hire operators.

"At Uber we believe competition is a good thing as it forces everyone to raise their game.

“This means companies have to offer a better product and user experience for a lower cost. Ultimately this is great for consumers as they get a fantastic service for a lower price."

source: http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/ ... 7.display/

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Say nothing about the deregulation bill, don't put input into the Law commission - but heaven forbid if uber comes knocking - every serf out we're on strike

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Will not be pleased when drivers start with uber, due to loss of driver income from office and radio rentals.

Well that's the top and bottom of it all in reality with operators, it's got feck all to do with anything else imo

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I would have no problem with any of the drivers of my cars using uber if it was available here.

_________________
Grandad,

And exactly how is that going to help the anti-Uber cause?

_________________
IDFIMH

it'll create free advertising for UBER - just like everywhere else - and expose the greed of operators

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

At the end of the day we all have been to council meetings, they make all these rules, we object and try and get them changed, some of us succeed a lot don't, Melton, Ashfield for example, then along comes uber, and guess what the rules don't apply to them, how is that? Bolton operators have know problem with uber so long as they comply with the same rules the rest have to abide by. It's called a level playing field.