Taxis - Black Cabs, Uber, Illegal Cabbies

Fuckin. A.

Got my second Uber of the week last night, nothing but good things to say about them from a users point of view

The knowledge is worth gold. Don't know how many times I've sat in pre-booked cabs going the long way round because of the gps

TomTom's have traffic data and Google bought Waze (traffic info stuff) so if they have a decent GPS and are going the long way it's probably because it's quicker than the short way. #becausecongestion

I do like that black cabs are waiting for me when I stagger out of my Tube station and forget where I live slurr something at them and they appear near my house.

fewer taxis rat-running through the quieter back streets the better. So many half decent bike routes are rendered null and void because of the chances of getting buzzed by a cab doing 40 round the back streets.

https://twitter.com/HeenaRandhawa/status/526283443442028545

Our @uber driver tried to run over a cyclist. Just noticed we were charged for the traumatic experience too

Green Tomato Cars are fast becoming the new Addison Lee in terms of dick drivers.

@dubtap it took me ages to distinguish which way around the bike was, I hope the rider is ok(and even lept from the bike without injury then proceeded to smash the driver up with a d lock).

Steve McNamara, head of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association argues that a growth in Uber vehicles is clogging up the streets of central London while they wait to pick up passengers, also reducing air quality.

I rarely cab, but when I do I always black cab.

Taxi racist.

@dancing james 'once you've had...' etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U8VGFkkeqg

Where do people stand on the uber vs. black cabs debate?

We live in a free market. Cab drivers shouldn't have the option to monopolise the market with an outdated model.

Having said that, both Uber, Addison Lee et al, have their own issues with vetting staff etc.

Personally, I would rather use Uber than a black cab.

Yeah I agree. I've heard nothing to convince me otherwise.

I agree, had a good chat with an Uber driver a few weeks back. He says that even the drivers for Uber aren't happy with the company, they squeeze the drivers so much and due to the high turnaround of drivers they have to put up or shut up.

Pretty simple decision for me though, what are you going to choose, a 20 pound Uber or a 70 pound black cab?

I work just around the corner from their office. The queues on "new driver" days are immense.

I've just listened to an hour of this debate on LBC. The simple fact is that Uber are breaking UK law, no matter if we think the system and laws are outdated it's still a breach of contract and TFL are finally catching up on these issues.

1. You are not allowed to hail a mini cab directly, you have to call through to a control room and get a booking, that's the law. All mini cab companies besides Uber follow this rule, mini cabs cant drive around waiting to get flagged down. Because of the nature of the Uber app you are essentially directly hailing a mini cab.
   

Listened to the same show. James O'Brien and the RMT bloke turned me fully against black cabs.
It's a vague law that uber are right flaunt. App is a control room etc. Aside from that it's an archaic law that I don't really understand, why does it even exist?

Well that's the other debate, I think the law is archaic on this, but untill that changes TFL are right to clamp down and not let Goldman Sachs and Boris's rich mates run rough shot over peoples employment contracts.

Its easy for us to be like "fuck black cabs" but if it was our contracts in breach I'd be pissed and that's what I think is important.

Still, would use an Uber over a black cab, but when push comes to shove Add Lee have always got my back (double flats, no spare tubes, bike in the back seat, 10/10 banter all the way home) but that's just from my personal experience.

Then the law need to be updated to accommodate people with disabilities.

What about apps like kabbee? Are they in the grey zone of legalities then?

Tbh black cabs hasn't help themselves by developing the worst car ever produced

Definitely, if you cant hear you can't make a phone call to an control room, using an visual app is brilliant.

Saying that I use the Add Lee app, which works via their control room, I get a txt from the control room, then a txt from the driver when they turn up so I can stay in touch with them incase I need to change anything. All contract friendly.

Its not the cabbies who developed the car they HAVE to use, I'm sure all of them would rather not pay 5ok for a inefficient and expensive to run car. They would all rather drive an 8k Mondeo and decrease fares therefore developing their available market of customers.

The blame sits firmly with TFL on these issues.

The point largely from the black cabs point of view as I understand it is they are open to a free market but only if it is a free market for all. They are hampered by high costs, regulations and imposed fares. Where as Uber it seems can ignore all of this and do what they want.