Taxi Driver Online

Hundreds of private hire drivers protest over pay

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg3ejp15dv1o



Hundreds of private hire drivers gathered in Birmingham in protest over pay and working conditions.

At the demonstration outside an Uber office building in the city, a spokesperson for the Private Hire Drivers Alliance said they were being exploited through "aggressive pricing strategies, unfair profit distribution, and inadequate working conditions."

Drivers later formed a convoy through the city centre, which caused traffic disruption.

The BBC has contacted Uber for comment.

Drivers have also criticised Bolt, which responded in a statement saying: "We constantly review our prices to ensure that they balance the earning needs of drivers with affordability for passengers."

Bolt said it allowed drivers to set their own prices.

It added that driver feedback was important, and that it was committed to engaging with drivers via surveys, community events and in-person forums.

The demonstration is the latest action from drivers, with similar events being held in April and May.

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IDFIMH

Video of a convoy in this article. It seems that it was a joint demo against Uber and for Palestine.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... e-29446776

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IDFIMH

No sympathy if they insist on connecting it to International events over which niether the council or uber has absoluteley no say or influence then they shouldn't be protesting.

The thing is they all leapt on the uber bandwagon without doing their homework. This is uber's modus operandii drive the competition out of business scoop up their drivers pay them naff all so that nobody earns enough to pay tax or live on and send any profits back to California

at the end of the day everyone's a loser with Uber unless they all get together and withdraw their labour from the app until uber concedes. The only person they are feeding is the corporate machine

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

The BBC didn't mention Veezu, but this is the Birmingham Mail's headline


Uber, Bolt and Veezu protest live as convoy threatens to bring Birmingham city centre to standstill

Private hire driver protest demanding 'fairness' - as one says Uber left him with £6.67 of £17 fare



The Mail's page is one of those 'live' ones, and is quite messy, but kudos to them for the effort

These are the main demands, though - wonder if the Aberdeen and Dundee drivers are aware of all this?



The Private Hire Drivers' Alliance has sent a list of demands to Uber and Bolt. Its demands focus around five issues:

The first is the Fair Distribution of Profits. "Ensure drivers receive a fair share of the profits generated from their work. The current profit distribution model is heavily skewed in favour of the company, leaving drivers with insufficient earnings."

The second is Stop Fixed Pricing. "Cease the implementation of fixed pricing strategies that undermine the earnings of drivers. Allow flexible pricing models that reflect the true value of the service provided by the models."

The third is Stop Dynamic Pricing. "End the practice of dynamic pricing, which often exploits drivers during peak demand periods without providing them with fair compensation. Establish a transparent pricing model that benefits both drivers and customers."

The fourth demand is End Unfair Terminations. "Implement fair and transparent processes for driver terminations. Drivers should not be unfairly terminated without proper review and an opportunity to present their case."

Their fifth and final demand is Stop Recruiting New Drivers. " Halt the excessive recruitment of new drivers that saturates the market, driving down earnings for existing drivers. Focus on improving the conditions and earnings of current drivers instead of continuously expanding the driver pool."

Usual pish from Uber - I suppose it looks OK if you've not seen it rehashed umpteen times before

Similar PR spiel from Bolt at the bottom here. And their pricing model looks even more opaque than Uber's


What has Bolt said?

Bolt has said it allowed drivers to set their own journey fees. It said it was the only private hire vehicle platform that enabled drivers to take full advantage of dynamic pricing, where fares are based on market conditions, and custom driver pricing, where drivers can decide to set their own minimum and maximum expected journey fees.

Earlier this year, Bolt rolled out an "industry-first" flexible pension scheme for private hire vehicle drivers.

A Bolt spokesperson said:

We value the important role drivers play in enabling people to get around the city. Driver feedback is important to us and we remain committed to engaging with drivers through surveys, community events, and in-person forums. We constantly review our prices to ensure they balance the earning needs of drivers with affordability for passengers.”

Which I'd guess simply means they won't get the run unless the price offered by Bolt to the customer is within the driver's range?

Maybe it is the case of the chickens coming home to roost.

For years and years the existing trade was warning that allowing Uber to grow would come back and bite the trade's bum when they get so big that drivers have no other choice but to work on their app and take whatever fares they offer.

I think for many drivers we are at that point. Thankfully not me nor the drivers that have stayed with traditional operators.

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IDFIMH