On Monday, 6 June 2016 21:37:00 UTC+1, Robin9 wrote:
While listening to LBC this morning, I was startled by an
advert of behalf of Uber. They were looking for drivers!
I always believed they had more drivers than they needed,
and that their reduction of the drivers' percentage of fares
was a reflection of that.

So why are Uber advertising for drivers? Is that they are
expanding ever more rapidly or is that drivers are deserting
Uber in large numbers?

Incidentally, apparently in another LBC programme, Sadiq Khan
said he though TfL had made a mistake in giving a licence to
Uber. Did anyone hear that programme?




--
Robin9

For once I agree with Khan. The Uxxx drivers that hang around the villages near Heathrow waiting for calls are a bl**dy menace. They have been reported as urinating (****ing) and even defecating (****ting) in residents' gardens and also in public places.

See this site:

http://taxi-news.co.uk/police-ignore...rs-harlington/

CJB

On 2016-06-07 08:18:37 +0000, d said:

Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around waiting for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs
outside London.

Neil
--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the @ to reply.

On 2016-06-07 15:34:28 +0000, d said:

No. Uber drivers take pickups from whatever area they're in at the time which
is often of their own choosing just like a black cab. Minicab drivers however
have an office they're based at and usually only take pickups from nearby that
office. If a minicab company had its cars posted around strategic places in
central london and allowed its drivers to take direct bookings from customers
via an app or phone, TfL would soon have something to say about it - but how is
that different to what Uber do?

It's *exactly* what minicab companies do outside London, other than
that the office dispatches when you do a phone booking, which might
tick off a legal technicality but is in practice insignificant. London
is an oddity in how minicabs work.

Neil
--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the @ to reply.

On 2016-06-07 08:47:34 +0000, tim... said:

whether they did on not, they definitely need to enforce the disability
rules against Uber cabs properly

We can argue for as long as you like whether we should, or should not
have these rules, but whilst we do all cabs should be expected to
comply equally.

The idea that (some/most) Uber drivers can reduce their costs by only
serving the cheaper customer whilst leaving the higher costs of
servicing disabled people only to black cabs is simply unacceptable.

If you are going to do that, you also need to enforce it against all
minicab companies as well. Uber is basically a minicab company.

Notably, the result of requiring all cabs to be accessible is lots of
large, filthy vehicles driving around central London with one passenger
on journeys where a small hybrid would do just as well. This is not
sensible. Something like Uber does give the possibility of having an
accessible subfleet like minicab companies do and preferentially
allocating it to those needing it.

Neil
--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the @ to reply.

On 08/06/2016 00:08, Neil Williams wrote:

On 2016-06-07 08:18:37 +0000, d said:

Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around
waiting for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs
outside London.


In London too.

On Wed, 8 Jun 2016 00:08:13 +0100
Neil Williams wrote:
On 2016-06-07 08:18:37 +0000, d said:

Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around waiting for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs
outside London.

So they just drive around an area waiting for a radio call to pick someone up?
I doubt that. Even if they did , its still a call from a central dispatch
office, not a direct call from a customer which is the crucial difference.

--
Spud

On Wednesday, 8 June 2016 10:11:28 UTC+2, wrote:
On Wed, 8 Jun 2016 00:08:13 +0100
Neil Williams wrote:
On 2016-06-07 08:18:37 +0000, d said:

Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around waiting for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs
outside London.

So they just drive around an area waiting for a radio call to pick
someone up? I doubt that. Even if they did , its still a call from a
central dispatch office, not a direct call from a customer which is the
crucial difference.

Difference between what? There is no direct communication between driver and customer with Uber, save for any incidental conversation they might have in the car. The requests for cars are submitted to a central dispatch service that matches customers to drivers and gives drivers instructions where to go. Just like with any other minicab.

Robin

In message , at 08:11:26 on Wed, 8 Jun
2016, d remarked:
Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around waiting for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs
outside London.

So they just drive around an area waiting for a radio call to pick someone up?
I doubt that. Even if they did , its still a call from a central dispatch
office, not a direct call from a customer which is the crucial difference.

In my experience they respond to "pick-up" requests (which are
broadcasts, not one-to-one) during the last five to ten minutes of the
trip they are currently engaged on.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 8 Jun 2016 02:05:47 -0700 (PDT)
wrote:
On Wednesday, 8 June 2016 10:11:28 UTC+2, wrote:
On Wed, 8 Jun 2016 00:08:13 +0100
Neil Williams wrote:
On 2016-06-07 08:18:37 +0000, d said:

Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around wait=
ing for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs=
=20
outside London.
=20
So they just drive around an area waiting for a radio call to pick
someone up? I doubt that. Even if they did , its still a call from a
central dispatch office, not a direct call from a customer which is the
crucial difference.

Difference between what? There is no direct communication between driver a=
nd customer with Uber, save for any incidental conversation they might have=
in the car. The requests for cars are submitted to a central dispatch ser=
vice that matches customers to drivers and gives drivers instructions where=
to go. Just like with any other minicab.

https://help.uber.com/h/9a5b1660-9de...3-62569c3cd749

--
Spud

On Wednesday, 8 June 2016 11:23:40 UTC+2, wrote:
On Wed, 8 Jun 2016 02:05:47 -0700 (PDT)
wrote:
On Wednesday, 8 June 2016 10:11:28 UTC+2, wrote:
On Wed, 8 Jun 2016 00:08:13 +0100
Neil Williams wrote:
On 2016-06-07 08:18:37 +0000, d said:

Its no different to if a minicab firm has its cars driving around wait=
ing for
messages on the radio to go pick up someone nearby.

Which they are allowed to do, and it is a common use-case for minicabs=
=20
outside London.
=20
So they just drive around an area waiting for a radio call to pick
someone up? I doubt that. Even if they did , its still a call from a
central dispatch office, not a direct call from a customer which is the
crucial difference.

Difference between what? There is no direct communication between driver a=
nd customer with Uber, save for any incidental conversation they might have=
in the car. The requests for cars are submitted to a central dispatch ser=
vice that matches customers to drivers and gives drivers instructions where=
to go. Just like with any other minicab.

https://help.uber.com/h/9a5b1660-9de...3-62569c3cd749

Which describes a system where their central dispatch system can pass a message from the customer to the assigned driver.

Robin