UBER PROTEST

[Bob Shillin]

I'm hearing they're going to stage a slow drive or some such up above in Dublin on Saturday afternoon... might be a judicial review in the offing... bring yisser wallets!

A judicial review about what?  As long as they charge the meter or less, it's all a-ok.  In fact, with inflation at 4% (?), it might be argued reduced fares are a good thing... for everyone else except us 

Maybe to consider testing the constitutionality of Taxi Regulation Act 2013 Part 3 Section 19 Subsection (2) Part (d) which requires NTA:

to encourage and promote competition in relation to services (including fares) offered by small public service vehicles;

Interesting, 'Twould be worth a try if'n one had the motivation, and supporters to fund it.

[Rat Catcher]

If you bought that it's definitely a runner... Half the boys on the protest won't be able to speak ENGLISH FFS!

[watty]

I'm hearing they're going to stage a slow drive or some such up above in Dublin on Saturday afternoon... might be a judicial review in the offing... bring yisser wallets!

A judicial review about what?  As long as they charge the meter or less, it's all a-ok.  In fact, with inflation at 4% (?), it might be argued reduced fares are a good thing... for everyone else except us 

Maybe to consider testing the constitutionality of Taxi Regulation Act 2013 Part 3 Section 19 Subsection (2) Part (d) which requires NTA:

to encourage and promote competition in relation to services (including fares) offered by small public service vehicles;

2013 Act?  Checks calender...  is it not a bit late to challenge something from 12 years ago?  And what's unconstitutional about competitive services (incl fares)?  Tis the way of the world nowadays?

[Rat Catcher]

The key word in that sentence is "consider". Legal opinion would be required to write the idea off... after a significant delay between the same and the whip round.

[watty]

It's all a bit late.  Discounted fare are here and established.  The apps have tried various 'come-on's' - no PUC's, discount off 1st fare, off-peak discounts etc etc but Uber have gone for the nuclear option with fixed fares and it's death by a thousand cuts. 

Say a fare is €10 for example.  They'll knock a euro off that tenner each month until it's eventually a fiver.  They have the budget to endure it but we don't.  Our new cousins will have to take it because they have student loans and rent (house & taxi) to pay.  And once they knock out Bolt, it'll just be the 2 American companies (Uber and Lyft) to rake in all the money.  And when new saloon licences are issued (matter of time imho), the newcomers will never have known full fares so won't know what they're missing.

[Rat Catcher]

I guess once the new men have to rent taxis those of us that own our own are going to hold an edge. Outside of that it mightn't be as bad as you think!

[Bob Shillin]

In the long run, reducing fares is not good for them, this is now about achieving a critical mass of market share. The only long term plan when that has been achieved is commission increases.

[Rat Catcher]

If we create a monopoly e.g. by getting rid of either Uber or Free Now commission will increase significantly and whichever is left will fill any gaps left by the other e.g. Limos in Cork.

[watty]

In the long run, reducing fares is not good for them, this is now about achieving a critical mass of market share. The only long term plan when that has been achieved is commission increases.

As someone else pointed out, it took Uber 13 years to make a (balance-sheet) profit in America.  The original goal was to drop prices, eliminate human taxi drivers, and replace them with robo-taxis.  That didn't go to plan but they still killed most of the traditional 'yellow cabs' across America.  They can play the long game and make their money back once they have the monopoly.  Now in America, nobody gets a taxi, they get an Uber and they pay a pretty penny for it.  The drivers don't see it since the effective commission over there is now ~40%.

'Correlation does not imply causation' but ~30% of Americans have a 'gig' job (no safeguards) and about the same % live paycheck-to-paycheck.  We should be careful to stick closer to Berlin than Boston!  If not for ourselves, then our children and grandchildren...

[Octavia1]

In the long run, reducing fares is not good for them, this is now about achieving a critical mass of market share. The only long term plan when that has been achieved is commission increases.

As someone else pointed out, it took Uber 13 years to make a (balance-sheet) profit in America.  The original goal was to drop prices, eliminate human taxi drivers, and replace them with robo-taxis.  That didn't go to plan but they still killed most of the traditional 'yellow cabs' across America.  They can play the long game and make their money back once they have the monopoly.  Now in America, nobody gets a taxi, they get an Uber and they pay a pretty penny for it.  The drivers don't see it since the effective commission over there is now ~40%.

'Correlation does not imply causation' but ~30% of Americans have a 'gig' job (no safeguards) and about the same % live paycheck-to-paycheck.  We should be careful to stick closer to Berlin than Boston!  If not for ourselves, then our children and grandchildren...

Agreed watty .... except for the Berlin bit .... lads dont understand wat this is ....if drivers adopt these ff  jobs ....they are volunteering to become uber drivers and ther income will be destroyed.....
Hopefully weel get some intervention by someone in Dail eireann but ther too busy supporting islamist terrorists an jailing teachers who wont say they .....
Our livelihood is now on the line an it is drivers who can either fix this or trow ther job away

[watty]

I wouldn't be relying on the Dail to help us - there's a reason the NTA, HSE etc exist - TD's don't want to do any work.  If the Dail had any power, people of substance would be running for election.  As it is, our current Taoiseach and ex-Minister for Finance write book reviews for the newspapers!

[silverbullet]

If you bought that it's definitely a runner... Half the boys on the protest won't be able to speak ENGLISH FFS!

And that's just the Dubs!