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Fun and games in that London Village today. Do the Black Cabs have a case or are they protecting their jobs income? Will they receive the same ammount of hate as the Tube Drivers for the disruption they are going to cause?
I've always regarded black cabs as an overpriced luxury. The knowledge of London has been superseded by satnavs and it seems Uber is doing away with having to stand in the street waving (and frequently being ignored.) Seems like technology is doing for them. Yellow cabs in NYC are much cheaper.
Cabs are a luxury and are protecting their closed shop/income, fair dos I'd do the same. Bring on Uber but I really don't believe Sat Nav is in any way comparable to the knowledge.
Seems like fear of a competitive threat to me. The Knowledge has provided a high barrier to entry for years and protected the cab industry and its drivers from competition. SatNav and apps has brought down that barrier.
People bang on about 'immigrants taking our jobs' but this is a very good case study for technology taking away the need for a human - which is going to play out across a wide range of jobs in years to come.
Cabbies need to adapt to compete and offer something better than Uber if they want to survive - they've had it good for a very long time...
For instance, being willing to drive South of the River after midnight!
I really don't believe Sat Nav is in any way comparable to the knowledge
It might not be as good (yet), but it is definitely comparable.
this is a very good case study for technology taking away the need for a human
I don't think so - every car/cab still needs a driver (for now...)
They're on strike in Madrid, too - I'd never really considered using Uber or Blablacar before this, great publicity for the apps 🙂
And I've got a 500km drive to do next weekend, I've now signed up to Blablacar and will almost certainly publish the journey to help with the petrol costs.
I don't think so - every car/cab still needs a driver (for now...)
True, I meant to say a trained human - it basically removes the need for cab drivers to do the knowledge which makes it easier to be a cab driver, which means more people can drive cabs, which will bring down prices to the consumer..
They're on strike in Madrid, too - I'd never really considered using Uber or Blablacar before this, great publicity for the apps
+1
Uber?
it basically removes the need for cab drivers to do the knowledge which makes it easier to be a cab driver, which means more people can drive cabs, which will bring down prices to the consumer..
So everyone wins then!
(apart from the very small percentage of the population who are already black cab drivers)
If you use Uber do you get a moaning small-minded right wing rant with every journey?
Surely a court challenge rather than the protest is appropriate? They say the law is being broken but want to bully us into agreeing with them.
Ironic that a profession full of right-wingers is going on strike!
Satnav is not even remotely comparable to the Knowledge.
The Black Taxis are not protesting about a rival app as such, Licenced Mini cabs have been in London for years. Their particular beef is that currently all non-black taxis can only charge a point to point price and are not allowed to offer metered fares, Uber allows its drivers to charge a metered fare.
Satnav is not even remotely comparable to the Knowledge.
In my experience this is not true at all.
I use both black cabs and Addison Lee minicabs (who use satnav) frequently.
Never had a problem with a satnav guided driver, but have had black cabbies get a bit lost and take me an odd/longer route a few times.
I'm going to write an uber/tinder mashup.
Genius I think you'll agree
fair enough that they have a dispute if the "competition" is breaking existing taxi/private hire laws to compete. Adapt to survive, or break the law to wangle your way in to the market?
edit: and Uber has been banned in several places, and restricted in others as some kind of compromise.
wouldn't go anywhere near Addison Lee, not with their issues with cyclists, and with their top bloke.
even Hailo is doing both black cabs and private hire now.
Ironic that a profession full of right-wingers is going on strike!
That's the thing though, right wingers often get proper leftist ideas when it's them and their livelihoods threatened.
I'd happily argue modern, traffic-aware satnav is better. I use it a lot for driving around London and when I do take a black cab home I tend to disagree on routes - the cabbies know their set routes and rarely deviate from them. They never know my road either, despite being within the zone they have to know for the knowledge. The less luddite cabbies all have satnavs now to keep an eye on traffic conditions. The knowledge now is nothing more than busywork to limit the number of new drivers.
I find it pretty amusing logic from LTDA - thinking that legally the Uber app CAN be a "taxi meter" but can't be a "booking office". Anyway, that's for the courts, not taxi drivers, to decide.
Have only had good experiences so far with Uber - quick, polite drivers in clean, comfortable cars. They bill straight off my card - never "oh, I only take cash" or "the machine's broken" (translation - I'd rather not declare it to the taxman). Black cab drivers have utterly failed to give people what they want, and are fighting to protect their cushy little monopoly. If I never take another noisy, rattly black cab with a gobby idiot for a driver I'd be quite happy with that really.
London Black Cabs are the best taxi service in the world (and I've used plenty all over the world). They are licensed, properly insured, trained to the highest standards and contribute meaningful revenues to the country.
Uber is a classic example of doing something on the cheap, unlicensed, paying nothing in terms of fees or indeed tax on profits and revenues (think Amazon etc). Insurance ?
I am very much against Uber, definitely will not use them. They operate surge pricing so when its busy their fares will be sky high, way above those of a licensed black cab.
I'd happily argue modern, traffic-aware satnav is better. I use it a lot for driving around London and when I do take a black cab home I tend to disagree on routes -
This is the classic argument that is rolled out all the time. If you drive round London a lot then yes you really should be able to find your way home as well as a cabbie can. Routes for complex journeys across London are always going to be subjective.
In London, drivers are PCO licenced & vetted, and the car needs proper commercial hire/reward insurance as with any (legal) minicab.
Surge pricing I'm actually fine with - at high demand, you can get still get a car quickly, it just costs more. It's all declared up front, if you think it's too high then use something else or wait. Those times are exactly those when you'll struggle to hail a cab or have to walk (and wait) at a rank.
I'm with simon_g on all points here.
The black cabs need to operate on the "if you can't beat them, join them" mantra.
Protectionism and legal fights are all very well in the short term but you can't fight progress if the progress ss good for the customers. Which this is.
London used to have cabs that were the envy of the world, before technology it was the only place where you could reliably hail a cab and be guaranteed they would be able to take you to your destination safely, without being ripped off or having to have some local knowledge of your own.
Uber now provides this and some more.
The cabbies need to get real.