6 ms·

Introducing UberTAXI

84 points by JackWebbHeller 12y ago

JackWebbHeller 12y ago
> "We recognise the unique heritage and value of traditional black cabs when it comes to getting around. UberTAXI is another way of using technology to offer more choice, making life simpler and keeping London moving" If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
- hobolobo 12y ago
  Or if you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em
- itstriz 12y ago
  In Chicago some licensed cab drivers use Uber to process their payments with the Uber Taxi service. You can call a cab with the app, pay the normal fare plus 20% gratuity and a small service fee. I don't use cabs often, but it's working out way better for me than when I used to call dispatch and maybe the cab would show up and maybe it wouldn't. It's also really nice to be able to just get in and get out without wasting time dealing with payments. The drivers that I've spoken to seem to like it as well as it gets them more fares.
  - joelrunyon 12y ago
    It's also nice that they can't charge "surge" pricing on cabs, so if they're doing a 2x or 4x you can call a taxi through it for a normal-ish fare. That said, the cab option always seems to be very sparsely populated whenever there's an ongoing pricing "surge". I haven't seen taxis done on uber anywhere other than Chicago though.
    - chc 12y ago
      Well, surge pricing indicates increased demand and is a way to compensate on the market level. So the cars that don't have surge pricing will logically be hard to get then.
izolate 12y ago
As a non Uber customer, why would I use this over Hailo? And why would Uber customers opt for a more expensive taxi when the same application has a cheaper option? When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo.
- viraptor 12y ago
  My guess is it's more about politics than actual service. Basically saying "hey, taxis are so much different we can even offer them as a completely separate service. UberX / Uber are not taxis." This may come useful if/when TfL changes their mind, or some court forces this discussion.
  - jrochkind1 12y ago
    To me, it sends the opposite message actually that Uber pretty much is the same as a taxi; they can incorporate taxis into uber in a way that works pretty much the same for the end-user (but with regulated rates). With legal threats to their attempts to make an end-run around taxi regulation, it makes sense they are trying to diversify and have an income stream via regulated taxis as well.
- easytiger 12y ago
  > When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo. What!? Hailo now does private cab hire firm booking, which led to lots of Black cab drivers removing support for it
  - vdaniuk 12y ago
    So why is it bad for Hailo to do private cab hire booking?
    - easytiger 12y ago
      Because before Hailo (set up by a former black cab driver) was previously only for Black Cabs. It isn't bad, unless you are a black cab driver. Metering would work differently than with private hire cabs too (cheaper)
dsplatonov 12y ago
not clear if existing taxi drives can subscribe to uber and take clients from it
- conatus 12y ago
  If you try and sign up: UberTAXI You Are...Currently a taxi driver certified and licensed by the city. Your Vehicle Is...A commercial taxi vehicle. So, yes. Existing taxi drivers can.
timparker 12y ago
Pay twice as much to be in a black cab? Defeating whole reason of using Uber.. luckily we have choices, thanks UberX.
- rblstr 12y ago
  My only reason for using Uber in this city is that it beats the hell out of black taxi rates, will definitely not be using this service. Seems like they're just trying to mitigate the protests happening today.
- JackWebbHeller 12y ago
  Actually it follows the same fare rate as the taxis themselves, plus 5% extra to Uber for the convenience of the service. Fare info: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?cid=fs159 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?ci...
  - pisarzp 12y ago
    which is much more expensive than UberX. Black cabs in London are just ripoff. I love Uber and I hope it will continue to disrupt it with UberX and low prices, not support Black Cabs.
    - untog 12y ago
      The training given to London cab drivers makes this especially ironic - UberTAXI should appear above UberX in their service list. It's a more premium service.
      - goatforce5 12y ago
        It takes an average London cabbie 34 months of preparation and 12 attempts to pass the test to get their license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_of_the_United_Kingdom#The_Knowledge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_of_the_United_Kingdom#... There was a shortcut on a route that I used to regularly take in London, so i'd tell them "Don't go to the lights, just turn down here". I think I had fare meters stopped out of appreciation on 3 occasions after sharing that tip. Showing a London cabbie a new shortcut totally blows their minds.
Tarang 12y ago
This must be a response to the protests today. I guess adding this is a way of saying Uber is not exactly like a Black Taxi and distinguish the two as different
eli 12y ago
They've been doing this in DC for several years. It seems to work, more or less. I think there are more cabs on Hailo if that's what you want. Some cab drivers are extremely anti-Uber.
- mayneack 12y ago
  I haven't tried Hailo, but in Boston the uber cabs have never felt scarce to me.
QuadDamaged 12y ago
Good timing, because in about 1 hour from now, at 14:00 BST / 13:00 UTC (as if there were such a thing as British Summer), the London Black Cabs will stage a protest that will gridlock London. Not that anyone stuck in London traffic will be able to tell the difference. Article from the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27783218 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27783218 edit: DST is hard
- markba 12y ago
  This is the perfect time for Uber to announce the new option
- corin_ 12y ago
  Off-topic, but... > as if there were such a thing as British Summer Have you not looked outside lately? We're having it right now!
  - tomp 12y ago
    It's 23 C outside. Maybe warm for London, but not "summer".
- popey 12y ago
  14:00 BST is 13:00 UTC, not 15:00 UTC.
  - QuadDamaged 12y ago
    Give me a sec I have some code I need to fix...
- Thasc 12y ago
  Just popped down. Complete gridlock all the way from Trafalgar Square through Parliament Square and beyond. The air is saturated by beeping taxi horns, and it's hot as hell.
- Shivetya 12y ago
  and here come calls for a union of all taxi drivers nationwide in the US http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-sharing-services-cabbies-seek-a-national-union.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-s...
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
alexanderri 12y ago
Uber started with boat services in Stockholm today. I thought that was bigger news :) You might want to translate this somehow but here: http://blog.uber.com/UberBAT http://blog.uber.com/UberBAT
- ptr 12y ago
  I wonder if this is part of some larger campaign -- maybe there are more Uber* stuff going on in other cities? UberRICKSHAW!
  - ceejayoz 12y ago
    They've got a long history of quirky short-term things like having a food truck come and give you a burrito. http://blog.uber.com/uBURRITO http://blog.uber.com/uBURRITO
lugg 12y ago
So is uber a taxi company or not? This can't help their stance in other countries where they are fighting off regulation?
theklub 12y ago
I find the rise of Uber fanboys very interesting. Is it real or are they bots?
- wyager 12y ago
  I'm real. Uber is 100x better than normal taxi services. The cars don't suck or smell bad, the drivers aren't assholes, and the fares are reasonable. That is completely orthogonal to my experiences in any taxi.
- ollerac 12y ago
  I love Uber and I'm real. It's a great service, really efficient, and not that expensive. I rely on it multiple times a week.
- tlrobinson 12y ago
  Real. Been using it since 2010. Unapologetic fanboy.
- themagician 12y ago
  I'm real. Uber isn't just a convenience for many. I rely on it to get around. Sometimes I might use it four or five times a day. Sometimes I don't use it at all. But I no longer have a car, nor do I want one, because of Uber. And I'm not alone. For many Uber has become a necessary utility.
ramongarcia 12y ago
European techies should favor Hailo over Uber if they ever have hopes of a real startup ecosystem ever blooming in this side of the world. The startup scene can't afford to see it fail.
Irishsteve 12y ago
Taxis in a lot of big euro cities are on strike at the moment because of what they deem unlicensed taxi services. Uber is being mentioned specifically. So while it's good for uber that they are announcing new services id much rather they sort my problem of spending a few extra hours getting to airport and a few more extra hours getting out of the airport today
- Irishsteve 12y ago
  And in the end, driven by uber's surge pricing, their drivers broke the picket line while stranded travelers (I included) welcomed them with open arms
jarin 12y ago
I was just in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, and Uber uses the local Yellow Cab there instead of black car or local drivers.
ChrisArchitect 12y ago
seems crazy that they are announcing this today with the protest happening but whatever.... I am happy to see the taxi hailing feature coming as it is my most used feature in Toronto ( I mean, you only needthe fancy cars for fancy events/group things)
jankeromnes 12y ago
I don't really know what to make of: > There will be no booking fees or additional charges to clients versus > We’ll charge a flat commission of just 5% Looks fishy.
kjjw 12y ago
Getting a taxi in London is not a broken concept. It is easy to flag down a taxi and there are a lot of them all over the place. They have a great charging structure, charging for distance, not time. They are safe and the taxi drivers are reliable and certified to be knowledgeable on the geography of London.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
veidr 12y ago
So... it's like a taxi?
BrianEatWorld 12y ago
If this service matches the quality of other Uber services, I could see it helping them get into holdout cities. TBH, my least favorite part about scheduling cabs is dealing with the dispatchers. I've had them frequently hang up on me just because I am scheduling a pick-up for somewhere on Sixth Street in Austin, despite my not being intoxicated in the least. Not to mention, the times when my reservation seems to just get lost or left with a massive window for wait times. If it can give better service and feedback than the current Hail a Cab app thats pretty big in Austin, the extra commission would be completely worth it. Hopefully, it expands beyond London.

> "We recognise the unique heritage and value of traditional black cabs when it comes to getting around. UberTAXI is another way of using technology to offer more choice, making life simpler and keeping London moving" If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

hobolobo 12y ago
Or if you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em
itstriz 12y ago
In Chicago some licensed cab drivers use Uber to process their payments with the Uber Taxi service. You can call a cab with the app, pay the normal fare plus 20% gratuity and a small service fee. I don't use cabs often, but it's working out way better for me than when I used to call dispatch and maybe the cab would show up and maybe it wouldn't. It's also really nice to be able to just get in and get out without wasting time dealing with payments. The drivers that I've spoken to seem to like it as well as it gets them more fares.
- joelrunyon 12y ago
  It's also nice that they can't charge "surge" pricing on cabs, so if they're doing a 2x or 4x you can call a taxi through it for a normal-ish fare. That said, the cab option always seems to be very sparsely populated whenever there's an ongoing pricing "surge". I haven't seen taxis done on uber anywhere other than Chicago though.
  - chc 12y ago
    Well, surge pricing indicates increased demand and is a way to compensate on the market level. So the cars that don't have surge pricing will logically be hard to get then.

izolate 12y ago

As a non Uber customer, why would I use this over Hailo? And why would Uber customers opt for a more expensive taxi when the same application has a cheaper option? When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo.

viraptor 12y ago
My guess is it's more about politics than actual service. Basically saying "hey, taxis are so much different we can even offer them as a completely separate service. UberX / Uber are not taxis." This may come useful if/when TfL changes their mind, or some court forces this discussion.
- jrochkind1 12y ago
  To me, it sends the opposite message actually that Uber pretty much is the same as a taxi; they can incorporate taxis into uber in a way that works pretty much the same for the end-user (but with regulated rates). With legal threats to their attempts to make an end-run around taxi regulation, it makes sense they are trying to diversify and have an income stream via regulated taxis as well.
easytiger 12y ago
> When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo. What!? Hailo now does private cab hire firm booking, which led to lots of Black cab drivers removing support for it
- vdaniuk 12y ago
  So why is it bad for Hailo to do private cab hire booking?
  - easytiger 12y ago
    Because before Hailo (set up by a former black cab driver) was previously only for Black Cabs. It isn't bad, unless you are a black cab driver. Metering would work differently than with private hire cabs too (cheaper)

dsplatonov 12y ago

not clear if existing taxi drives can subscribe to uber and take clients from it

conatus 12y ago
If you try and sign up: UberTAXI You Are...Currently a taxi driver certified and licensed by the city. Your Vehicle Is...A commercial taxi vehicle. So, yes. Existing taxi drivers can.

timparker 12y ago

Pay twice as much to be in a black cab? Defeating whole reason of using Uber.. luckily we have choices, thanks UberX.

rblstr 12y ago
My only reason for using Uber in this city is that it beats the hell out of black taxi rates, will definitely not be using this service. Seems like they're just trying to mitigate the protests happening today.
JackWebbHeller 12y ago
Actually it follows the same fare rate as the taxis themselves, plus 5% extra to Uber for the convenience of the service. Fare info: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?cid=fs159 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?ci...
- pisarzp 12y ago
  which is much more expensive than UberX. Black cabs in London are just ripoff. I love Uber and I hope it will continue to disrupt it with UberX and low prices, not support Black Cabs.
  - untog 12y ago
    The training given to London cab drivers makes this especially ironic - UberTAXI should appear above UberX in their service list. It's a more premium service.
    - goatforce5 12y ago
      It takes an average London cabbie 34 months of preparation and 12 attempts to pass the test to get their license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_of_the_United_Kingdom#The_Knowledge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_of_the_United_Kingdom#... There was a shortcut on a route that I used to regularly take in London, so i'd tell them "Don't go to the lights, just turn down here". I think I had fare meters stopped out of appreciation on 3 occasions after sharing that tip. Showing a London cabbie a new shortcut totally blows their minds.

Tarang 12y ago

This must be a response to the protests today. I guess adding this is a way of saying Uber is not exactly like a Black Taxi and distinguish the two as different

eli 12y ago

They've been doing this in DC for several years. It seems to work, more or less. I think there are more cabs on Hailo if that's what you want. Some cab drivers are extremely anti-Uber.

mayneack 12y ago
I haven't tried Hailo, but in Boston the uber cabs have never felt scarce to me.

QuadDamaged 12y ago

Good timing, because in about 1 hour from now, at 14:00 BST / 13:00 UTC (as if there were such a thing as British Summer), the London Black Cabs will stage a protest that will gridlock London. Not that anyone stuck in London traffic will be able to tell the difference. Article from the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27783218 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27783218 edit: DST is hard

markba 12y ago
This is the perfect time for Uber to announce the new option
corin_ 12y ago
Off-topic, but... > as if there were such a thing as British Summer Have you not looked outside lately? We're having it right now!
- tomp 12y ago
  It's 23 C outside. Maybe warm for London, but not "summer".
popey 12y ago
14:00 BST is 13:00 UTC, not 15:00 UTC.
- QuadDamaged 12y ago
  Give me a sec I have some code I need to fix...
Thasc 12y ago
Just popped down. Complete gridlock all the way from Trafalgar Square through Parliament Square and beyond. The air is saturated by beeping taxi horns, and it's hot as hell.
Shivetya 12y ago
and here come calls for a union of all taxi drivers nationwide in the US http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-sharing-services-cabbies-seek-a-national-union.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-s...

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

alexanderri 12y ago

Uber started with boat services in Stockholm today. I thought that was bigger news :) You might want to translate this somehow but here: http://blog.uber.com/UberBAT http://blog.uber.com/UberBAT

ptr 12y ago
I wonder if this is part of some larger campaign -- maybe there are more Uber* stuff going on in other cities? UberRICKSHAW!
- ceejayoz 12y ago
  They've got a long history of quirky short-term things like having a food truck come and give you a burrito. http://blog.uber.com/uBURRITO http://blog.uber.com/uBURRITO

lugg 12y ago

So is uber a taxi company or not? This can't help their stance in other countries where they are fighting off regulation?

theklub 12y ago

I find the rise of Uber fanboys very interesting. Is it real or are they bots?

wyager 12y ago
I'm real. Uber is 100x better than normal taxi services. The cars don't suck or smell bad, the drivers aren't assholes, and the fares are reasonable. That is completely orthogonal to my experiences in any taxi.
ollerac 12y ago
I love Uber and I'm real. It's a great service, really efficient, and not that expensive. I rely on it multiple times a week.
tlrobinson 12y ago
Real. Been using it since 2010. Unapologetic fanboy.
themagician 12y ago
I'm real. Uber isn't just a convenience for many. I rely on it to get around. Sometimes I might use it four or five times a day. Sometimes I don't use it at all. But I no longer have a car, nor do I want one, because of Uber. And I'm not alone. For many Uber has become a necessary utility.

ramongarcia 12y ago

European techies should favor Hailo over Uber if they ever have hopes of a real startup ecosystem ever blooming in this side of the world. The startup scene can't afford to see it fail.

Irishsteve 12y ago

Taxis in a lot of big euro cities are on strike at the moment because of what they deem unlicensed taxi services. Uber is being mentioned specifically. So while it's good for uber that they are announcing new services id much rather they sort my problem of spending a few extra hours getting to airport and a few more extra hours getting out of the airport today

Irishsteve 12y ago
And in the end, driven by uber's surge pricing, their drivers broke the picket line while stranded travelers (I included) welcomed them with open arms

jarin 12y ago

I was just in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, and Uber uses the local Yellow Cab there instead of black car or local drivers.

ChrisArchitect 12y ago

seems crazy that they are announcing this today with the protest happening but whatever.... I am happy to see the taxi hailing feature coming as it is my most used feature in Toronto ( I mean, you only needthe fancy cars for fancy events/group things)

jankeromnes 12y ago

I don't really know what to make of: > There will be no booking fees or additional charges to clients versus > We’ll charge a flat commission of just 5% Looks fishy.

kjjw 12y ago

Getting a taxi in London is not a broken concept. It is easy to flag down a taxi and there are a lot of them all over the place. They have a great charging structure, charging for distance, not time. They are safe and the taxi drivers are reliable and certified to be knowledgeable on the geography of London.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

veidr 12y ago

So... it's like a taxi?

BrianEatWorld 12y ago

If this service matches the quality of other Uber services, I could see it helping them get into holdout cities. TBH, my least favorite part about scheduling cabs is dealing with the dispatchers. I've had them frequently hang up on me just because I am scheduling a pick-up for somewhere on Sixth Street in Austin, despite my not being intoxicated in the least. Not to mention, the times when my reservation seems to just get lost or left with a massive window for wait times. If it can give better service and feedback than the current Hail a Cab app thats pretty big in Austin, the extra commission would be completely worth it. Hopefully, it expands beyond London.