Uber stripped of license to operate in London

[mercenary for hire]

I know what ya meant.Joe Herron has his facts wrong though.20k PSV holders didn't renew thier licence that they got really easy because the renewal was 250 .When the job is considered to be worth doing better candidates will prepare properly for the exam.

I understand that you lads didn't have to pass any significant test but it doesn't mean you should lower the bar and sabotage things for everyone else.Maybe if yis did a proper exam yis wouldn't be so laid back?

Claiming that we need more cabs because folks have to hunt for taxis at the weekend is just dumb.All other times there are plenty of taxis to go round.I've been to many places all over the world and it's tough to get a taxi at closing time in every place I've been.Why do Irish folks think there should be a loads minimum wage gimps parked outside every nightclub and bar at the weekend.Makes no sense in any other country.

[Rat Catcher]

Unfortunately, 99% of folk know very little about the taxi trade so they rely on what the media tells them. We know Joe doesn't know his arse from his elbow but they don't hence they believe the bullshit that comes out of his mouth, particularly when it seems to support what the dispatch firms are saying.

I'm not suggesting we need more taxis. What I am saying is that we have to be careful that any perception of a shortfall in supply doesn't result in a knee jerk reaction along the lines of facilitating rideshare. We need to be a lot more clever going forward than we ever have been in the past. Frankly, I don't believe any of our reps are capable.

[Rat Catcher]

Incidentally, far from suggesting lowering the bar I have advocated all drivers sitting the Kathleen Doyle test every 5 years sine it was introduced in 2009. That would level the playing field and improve standards across the board. However, I guess there could be a case for letting men who fail continue as hackney drivers, converting their plates to hackney plates with an option to convert back if they pass the test within 5 years?

[mercenary for hire]

I agree our reps are not up to the job.And they don't represent as many drivers as they make others believe.We need a better line of communication with the media and someone who can go on the radio and make honest rebuttals to Tim Arnold's bullshit.

I also agree tougher testing for all wouldn't be a bad thing.But relegating taxi drivers to hackney men upon test failure would require a bit of work.Perhaps they could be rickshaw pilots instead limiting the damage to some degree?

[john m]

merc the so called reps decided a long time ago that they wanted a simpler entry exam,when the certified drivers test was introduced the reps complained and insisted it was not made compulsory and wanted a grandfather rule as they said that some older  drivers had trouble reading and writing this is not the only time reps have refered to just how stupit you can be to drive a taxi .Joe Herron claimed that the reason that some drivers were not registered on the drivers app was because they were to thick to register Based on previous statements about the educational standards of drivers issued by the reps the test should be simplified to help improve driver self confidence .The test should be a twopart test .Tech can you turn on a satnav and use a phone and the second part should be industry based can you tell the difference between a Saloon Car and a WAT .That just about covers all you need to know Stop worrying about the kip being flodded with new taxies the town is going to grind to a halt as soon as the LUAS is up and running the last thing they want is more taxies clogging the streets .

[mercenary for hire]

The reps don't reperesent me or the majority of drivers.I'm not too worried as it would take years of easy tests to flood the place. Uber isn't the big thing we need to be concerned about either.But let us not forget Tim Arnold and co are the real problem calling for easy tests just because drivers aren't thick enough to drive past instant cash work on the streets.

[The Liffey Lip]

I agree our reps are not up to the job.And they don't represent as many drivers as they make others believe.We need a better line of communication with the media and someone who can go on the radio and make honest rebuttals to Tim Arnold's bullshit.

I also agree tougher testing for all wouldn't be a bad thing.But relegating taxi drivers to hackney men upon test failure would require a bit of work.Perhaps they could be rickshaw pilots instead limiting the damage to some degree?

Are they "our reps" though Mercenary? Take this Citizens Assembly crowd...who the fuck appointed these arseholes to represent "our", the citizens, interests? There are capable men and women out there perfectly able to rebuke and confute everything Arnold says. It appears to me they might not be afforded the opportunity to do so as they're not "with the programme".

[mercenary for hire]

Maybe our was the wrong word.

[The Liffey Lip]

A snippet taken from today's Telegraph regarding a surprising number polling in favour of Uber's ban in London. Demographics play a huge part of course.




Of those people who said they frequently use Uber in London 63 per cent said that they felt the decision was wrong. However, more than a quarter of these people (27 per cent) agreed with it.

More than one in three of those who had used Uber at least once said they supported the ban while 49 per cent of those who had never used it agreed with TfL's decision.

Younger people were more likely to disagree with the ban, however, out of the age groups polled, only the 18-24 category had more than one in three respondents in opposition.

There was little variation on a political level but women were slightly less happy with the ban than men were.

[Taxi driver42]

Its gonna get in here
Eventually

[Rat Catcher]

It's already in here, so is mytaxi/moovel.

[silverbullet]

The Drinks trade is the problem, not taxis.

Close every pub, club, restaurant at approximately the same time and you'll always have a problem.

Uber subsidize fares until market domination is achieved. The same goes for driver commission. Commission in some U.S. states has increased from 2.5% at the outset, to a current 30%.

[Taxi driver42]

It's already in here, so is mytaxi/moovel.

RIDESHARE I MEAN

[Rat Catcher]

mytaxi uses hackneys, that's all Uber uses in London - they call them minicabs or PH there, a hackney carriage is actually a taxi in their lingo.

[Rat Catcher]

Uber subsidize fares until market domination is achieved. The same goes for driver commission. Commission in some U.S. states has increased from 2.5% at the outset, to a current 30%.

mytaxi tried to introduce 30% commission in Germany. Taximen over there stood up to them, I'm not sure we would. Of course, it also subsidises fares and manipulates supply with driver bonuses.