Cork TD leading the Uber charge in rural areas.

[taxi1990]

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/spanish-taxi-drivers-take-to-streets-in-uber-protest-1.3768145

[Rat Catcher]

Amazing how poorly informed they are. "Uber-style" would be fully licensed taxis that meet Uber's age/size criteria. I don't think any of us have a problem with that. However, I suspect what they actually want is more mytaxi-style i.e. any sort of clapped out shitebox with a driver... although mytaxi does aim to phase out the driver bit with 20% of it's taxi fleet being operated by autonomous vehicles within 6.53 years.

[Rat Catcher]

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/spanish-taxi-drivers-take-to-streets-in-uber-protest-1.3768145

Uber's fleet in Spain is licensed, like our hackneys/limousines that work for mytaxi. Coverage could be better but it is handy as you put your destination in the app, avoiding trying to explain where you're going to a driver that struggles with English.

[taxi1990]

just say this politician gets his way and this stupid idea gets the green light. this is what will happen, you get the same driver a few times(this will happen as they will be operating in rural areas), you get on well with him/her. then you just ring him/her direct for your lift to town, no meter used, cash in hand, thanks very much, mytaxi and uber wont do so well then will they?

[Rat Catcher]

Depends how much that happens. Drivers boxing off work is probably an issue with taxis too, maybe more so in recessionary times. However, mytaxi has still managed to at least double the freight drivers used to pay Irish dispatch firms so it can probably afford a little seepage here and there. Of course, both Uber and mytaxi use their systems to encourage rider loyalty using simplified card payment processes and such like.

I don't think it's about Rural service, anyway. There's plenty of reasons that the local pub is no longer the centre of the universe for culchies, only one of those reasons is transport. From mytaxi's perspective it's all about getting more drivers in more cars to cover the work up above in Dublin and down below in Cork.

[taxi1990]

the politician who was talking on the sean o rourke show on rte radio the other day, said they want to make it so that publicans dont have to pay vrt on their cars, more rural link busses at night, uber to be introduced, and some other idea. is he going to leave anyone for us to drop home?

do we as taxi drivers have anyone in these talks talking up for our interests?

its obvious that once taxis protest uber in other countries they back off easily enough and pull out of countries, they don't seem to like a fight.

[Rat Catcher]

Drivers have loads of unions. All seem to support the dispatch firms' desire to increase the fleet, however that can be done. Can't see taxi drivers here putting up any sort of fight, a lot of them advertise mytaxi and most of us work for mytaxi.

[taxi1990]

a good thing for us is this jim daly doesn't seem to be the brightest of guys. even though he talks like he has just come up with a cure for cancer with this great idea about uber. the reason a lot of people stayed at home during christmas was because they were worried they would fail a breathalyzer the next morning, so getting an uber will be the same as if they got a taxi the night before.

there is any amount of taxis and hackneys in most rural areas, plus illegal taxis.

[Rat Catcher]

He might have the capacity to learn... what happens when he finds out that mytaxi already uses clapped out shiteboxes masquerading as limousines to cover taxi fares up above in Dublin... what happens when he finds out that mytaxi dispatches any driver to any area regardless of licences held... will he still want an "Uber-style" fleet of fully licensed taxis restricted to drivers' licensed areas?

[taxi1990]

is there any enforcement by the NTA of say a meath taxi operating in dublin through mytaxi?

[Rat Catcher]

No, it's not against the regulations so there's nothing to enforce.

[Shallowhal]

is there any enforcement by the NTA of say a meath taxi operating in dublin through mytaxi?

I know you're asking a serious question...but i'll admit i did have a giggle....enforcement?

[Rat Catcher]

The real Irony is that you'll see drivers who complained about and campaigned against drivers coming up from the bog to work Dublin happily advertising mytaxi FOC.

[taxi1990]

You would wonder why there is no enforcement, wouldn't the nta make more money if they enforced rules better. 

[Rat Catcher]

They can only enforce rules that exist. The area on your SPSVDL only applies to where you may ply or stand for hire, there is no restriction on radio/app jobs.