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Typically i'd agree with your sentiment. Unfortunately I remember what getting around was like pre-Uber and that unregulated minicab companies are no better for

by daneyh 7y ago

Typically i'd agree with your sentiment. Unfortunately I remember what getting around was like pre-Uber and that unregulated minicab companies are no better for workers exploitation or working rights and passenger safety...where is TfL(Transport for Londons) action on those firms? or the many uber clones that have popped up recently (Bolt, Kapten et al.) Uber is really an easy target for them. The alternative is the black cabs who are apparently the safer/regulated option however the number of times in my early 20s catching black cabs and not seeing any driver registration and having their card machines constantly not working and paying sky high prices in order to pay for their obsolescent knowledge test and fume producing diesel chugging machine makes me really sad at the thought of returning to this. Hopefully uber can clean up their act and get something sorted as seems to me the consumer is the loser in all of this.

gorgoiler 7y ago
It seems pretty common for public policy (in your example, minicab provision and regulation) to first fail and then for the rise of Uber to be promoted by the faithful as an alternative solution. In reality, Uber’s existence, no matter what the company or its supporters might say, is simply a different way of highlighting the very same failure in public policy. The poor have no bread? Let them eat cake. The citizens need an out of hours ride home from the pub? Page a Prius.
- HPsquared 7y ago
  Banning cake doesn't seem like the solution though - then there's nothing!
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Funny, I remember London black cabs as mainly being a reliable service with reliable drivers. I'd rather have a driver with their route knowledge in their head than one blindly relying on GPS. At least they can make intelligent choices when problems crop up. Not that it was completely without problems, but compared to say NYC cabs they were worlds apart. Sure, there was a problem for a while with rogue unregistered cabs, though IIRC that was mainly minicabs and relied on intercepting despatch radio messages, but there were some black cabs. The cliche of not going south of the river held up to some scrutiny too. Uber of course go with phone you then just don't show if they don't like the route and waste half and hour of yours. At least it was a two way conversation with a cabbie. That London hasn't put a blanket ban on diesel cabs in the low emission zone isn't really the cab's fault - that's firmly on the authorities...
- bloke_zero 7y ago
  In London minicabs and black cabs are very different. Black cabs can be hailed whereas minicabs have to be booked and are regulated differently.
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Yeah I know, that's why I pointed out that it was mainly private hire. Yet it wasn't solely them as most black cab firms also took calls and bookings and despatched just like minicabs, opening them up to the same scam. Genuine street hire only black cabs still exist, but they're pretty damn rare now.
    - johnnycab 7y ago
      >Genuine street hire only black cabs still exist, but they're pretty damn rare now. They are not rare in city centres, which is their natural habitat eg. take a trip into Central London/Westend/City of London etc., you will find them everywhere. Unless, you are talking about the suburbs, where they have always been as rare as hens teeth. https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licensing-information https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing...
      - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
        They used to be more common and a higher proportion of the total. Lots have moved into minicab-like firms that add bookings, despatch etc.
- djohnston 7y ago
  it costs 100 quid to go from heathrow to zone 3 via black cab, and about 35 for uber. "Uber of course go with phone you then just don't show if they don't like the route and waste half and hour of yours. At least it was a two way conversation with a cabbie." I completely disagree. The uber app shows the route the driver is taking and offers way more transparency than a black cab.

by daneyh 7y ago

gorgoiler 7y ago

It seems pretty common for public policy (in your example, minicab provision and regulation) to first fail and then for the rise of Uber to be promoted by the faithful as an alternative solution. In reality, Uber’s existence, no matter what the company or its supporters might say, is simply a different way of highlighting the very same failure in public policy. The poor have no bread? Let them eat cake. The citizens need an out of hours ride home from the pub? Page a Prius.

HPsquared 7y ago
Banning cake doesn't seem like the solution though - then there's nothing!

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

Funny, I remember London black cabs as mainly being a reliable service with reliable drivers. I'd rather have a driver with their route knowledge in their head than one blindly relying on GPS. At least they can make intelligent choices when problems crop up. Not that it was completely without problems, but compared to say NYC cabs they were worlds apart. Sure, there was a problem for a while with rogue unregistered cabs, though IIRC that was mainly minicabs and relied on intercepting despatch radio messages, but there were some black cabs. The cliche of not going south of the river held up to some scrutiny too. Uber of course go with phone you then just don't show if they don't like the route and waste half and hour of yours. At least it was a two way conversation with a cabbie. That London hasn't put a blanket ban on diesel cabs in the low emission zone isn't really the cab's fault - that's firmly on the authorities...

bloke_zero 7y ago
In London minicabs and black cabs are very different. Black cabs can be hailed whereas minicabs have to be booked and are regulated differently.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Yeah I know, that's why I pointed out that it was mainly private hire. Yet it wasn't solely them as most black cab firms also took calls and bookings and despatched just like minicabs, opening them up to the same scam. Genuine street hire only black cabs still exist, but they're pretty damn rare now.
  - johnnycab 7y ago
    >Genuine street hire only black cabs still exist, but they're pretty damn rare now. They are not rare in city centres, which is their natural habitat eg. take a trip into Central London/Westend/City of London etc., you will find them everywhere. Unless, you are talking about the suburbs, where they have always been as rare as hens teeth. https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licensing-information https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing...
    - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
      They used to be more common and a higher proportion of the total. Lots have moved into minicab-like firms that add bookings, despatch etc.
djohnston 7y ago
it costs 100 quid to go from heathrow to zone 3 via black cab, and about 35 for uber. "Uber of course go with phone you then just don't show if they don't like the route and waste half and hour of yours. At least it was a two way conversation with a cabbie." I completely disagree. The uber app shows the route the driver is taking and offers way more transparency than a black cab.