Uber comes to Australia

[zainman]

Just an update or two:

Victorian taxi commission's undercover investigation prompts court action against Uber drivers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

And:

Uber driver arrested over New Year's Day assault on 19yo woman in Melbourne - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

All über drivers will have had to pass the accreditation test by 31st January to continue driving.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

All über drivers will have had to pass the accreditation test by 31st January to continue driving.

Uber Black and Uber X?

 

[TomVexille]

Uber Black and Uber X?

I believe so

 

[moa999]

I can't see them letting uberx drivers sit the test, uberblack obviously as they are accredited hire car drivers

 

[burmans]

All über drivers will have had to pass the accreditation test by 31st January to continue driving.

Did you read the comments, not many supporting the taxi industry! Personally I think Uber are here to stay, there may well be court cases but in the end an accommodation will be found.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

People power will win here. Uber is not going anywhere

 

[trippin_the_rift]

What I don't get is why the anti-uber brigade say they want Uber to 'compete on a level playing field'.

Quite often Uber can cost more than a taxi. Price isn't the biggest reason taxis may feel some hurt... Its quality of service, feeling valued, no bull**** card fees, no drivers saying they won't take you....

All problems taxi drivers can foz and has nothing to do with a 300k taxi plate.

So confused at the logic of these taxi companies!

 

[anat0l]

I keep saying - when the penalty is imprisonment instead of a mere fine, that is when something will break and be done, because no matter how much money Uber/Google has, you can't just pay someone out of jail. (Or at least to the noted degree that I believe bribery in Australia is impossible).

 

[TomVexille]

I can't see them letting uberx drivers sit the test, uberblack obviously as they are accredited hire car drivers

I'm pretty sure I saw an article that quoted the Taxi services comission say that all uber drivers will have to take the test, with the standing exception of registered drivers who have been in the industry >5 years. ie. the Uber Black drivers with more than 5 years experience.

 

[puppysparkes]

They are certainly working to protect their interests. Illegal ride-sharing service UberX outsmarts transport inspectors, disrupting undercover stings - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Seriously haven't taxi companies watched enough movies, read enough news and taken any note of how these things go down in history?

Even if Uber should be wiped off the earth - they're going the wrong way about it. History is about to repeat itself again and taxi companies will simply wipe themselves out IMO.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I can't see them letting uberx drivers sit the test, uberblack obviously as they are accredited hire car drivers

That is my understanding also.

Quite often Uber can cost more than a taxi. Price isn't the biggest reason taxis may feel some hurt... Its quality of service, feeling valued, no bull**** card fees, no drivers saying they won't take you....

I have never used Uber so little knowledge of their pricing structure - BUT - Uber rates can vary depending on demand at time of booking from base rate up to 7 X base rate can it not? And bear in mind Uber drivers pay Uber 10% I think as booking fee. I don't foillow the logic of your 'Its quality of service, feeling valued' bit - Uber black drivers come from existing taxi / hire car driver pool - do they immediately change their persona when they accept a booking through Uber?

People power will win here. Uber is not going anywhere

Uber black - which is nothing more than a taxi / hire car booking App will most probably continue in Australia - Uber X I think has quite limited life span - although we will all be much wiser on this matter in a few months.

 

[anat0l]

...taxi companies will simply wipe themselves out IMO.

No way. Governments will be lobbied hard to keep them alive no matter what. And in jurisdictions which have them, the mafia will ensure that (or so be it a few politicians or their families' lives may be put at risk).

I have never used Uber so little knowledge of their pricing structure - BUT - Uber rates can vary depending on demand at time of booking from base rate up to 7 X base rate can it not?

That multiplier is only for surge pricing which occurs when there is a large disparity between requested Uber rides and available Uber drivers (or during event times which are anticipated as such).

It has been a hot potato topic and obviously not well understood, but the idea is meant to be that if prices are increased, more Uber drivers who currently aren't "on the job" would have an incentive to go out and join the driver pool. Basically a bit like how airlines price tickets in peak times / seasons. Surge pricing is advised before a user books a ride - they need to acknowledge that their ride will be x times more expensive than normal, although much controversy has been generated because you don't actually get a fare estimate at the same time you confirm the surge multiplier.

Most of the time when in use, there is no surge pricing and hence one pays the standard gazetted rates.

 

[moa999]

Surge is 'meant' to bring more drivers out - but i suspect most drivers are pretty fixed on when they work

But then uber also discredits this process sending out emails to drivers telling them surge is expected over certain periods

 

[yohy?!]

the surges are easily avoided - simply waiting 15 minutes or even walking 500m to a different location usually works for clearing them (obviously excepting NYE which sees even taxis trying to negotiate higher fares)

 

[Cruiser Elite]

the surges are easily avoided - simply waiting 15 minutes or even walking 500m to a different location usually works for clearing them

Your kidding aren't you?

 

[yohy?!]

Your kidding aren't you?

not at all, i'm a heavy uberx user and have done it multiple times. you also can opt to get a push notification when the surge is over.

 

[zainman]

not at all, i'm a heavy uberx user and have done it multiple times. you also can opt to get a push notification when the surge is over.

Or just drag and move the pin where you are located vigorously a couple of times and the surge pricing goes away for an instant and immediately request to book.


@cruiser: Uber X drivers will also be sitting the test. Love uber and won't ever use a cab where its' available.

 

[dk4]

...taxi companies will simply wipe themselves out IMO.

The governments can't let that happen. The taxi industry is a significant source of revenue to various administrations. The price of taxi plates in some jurisdictions is astronomical, and when combined with ongoing annual rego (and associated) fees the government(s) simply can't allow this income stream to be disturbed.

Forget side issues of road worthiness and spin about safety, the real issue is tax. If uber drivers aren't registered properly, my guess is the next step will be many of them losing their family homes when government agencies reassess their vehicle usage and perhaps back charge them taxi licensing fees let alone take them to court!

I imagine that the government will also put pressure on the insurance industry to clamp down hard on drivers who have not signed up for insurance based on conducting a for-profit activity with their vehicles too.

I expect that the future for uber in this country is simply as an additional/alternate booking/payment system for correctly registered vehicles, charging the correctly mandated fees. (Because the one area of the taxi industry, which the government may like to take on, is the cabcharge monopoly!)

 

[Hvr]

The governments can't let that happen. The taxi industry is a significant source of revenue to various administrations. The price of taxi plates in some jurisdictions is astronomical, and when combined with ongoing annual rego (and associated) fees the government(s) simply can't allow this income stream to be disturbed.

<snip> (Because the one area of the taxi industry, which the government may like to take on, is the cabcharge monopoly!)

The only source of revenue the government is afraid of missing out on are the regular donations that the taxi industry pays to maintain the status quo. The calibre of current taxi drivers is demonstrated by the fact that only a couple of people out of several thousand have so far passed the basic knowledge test here in Melbourne. This includes many long term drivers who would be expected to have at least a basic knowledge of Melbourne.

As for the CabCharge monopoly when the extra 10% charge was investigated by the ACCC it was found to be usurious and lowered to 5%. No justification was offered as to why this rort is even allowed.

You have no idea if the taxi driver is actually the person in the picture (if one is actually displayed). As for road worthiness of cabs well as some one who drives at all times of the day and night the number of taxis I see with only one headlight is simply amazing. A little more effort by the taxi directorate in ensuring basic taxi standards would be welcome and might actually yield some positive results.


If Uber drivers are registered the same way as taxi drivers and have appropriate insurance (and lets check the actual taxi insurance while we're at it) then let them work. Surely any industry should welcome competition? Or is the taxi monopoly simply afraid their short coming swill be exposed?