Uber - Ridesharing App
Who has tried this?
Looks like it started its soft launch in Brisbane 10 days ago. Basically, an AirBnB for driving. You can sign-up to be a driver, get the app and start receiving fares. Alternatively, use the app to find drivers, and pay a lot less then a cab fare. Anyway, in the soft launch period, you get 2 free rides a week. I used it last night to get home from the city with my girlfriend. She was skeptical to say the least. Put in our location, and 5mins later Sunil rocks up in his Holden Cruze. Can't never say no to a free lift home. Uber are covering the costs of the lifts in this period. I reckon the cabbies are gonna get pissed. If your keen to give it a go use the promo code pcdut for $20 free. |
10:40am 03/05/14 Permalink
I signed up for this but haven't used it yet. The cab industry needs a massive shake up so this is welcome as far as I'm concerned
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11:44am 03/05/14 Permalink
The lame taxi authority had other things to say in NSW.
Hopefully it works out for you guys. Bris is in dire need of more cabs. |
11:54am 03/05/14 Permalink
When it asked for my credit card details I paused, then cancelled app to learn more. I live in Melbourne but I read that the NSW gov is trying to ban it due to drivers not being accredited with a hire car or taxi license. I really read that as they make no money out if it.. Other then that it reads ok but giving out my credit card info again still makes me pause. I think I need a debit card for these things right?
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12:02pm 03/05/14 Permalink
yeah, how many people are going to get kidnapped? this is a terrible idea
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12:12pm 03/05/14 Permalink
sounds like a great way to pick up chicks ;-)
and if you have a company car it's all profit! |
12:22pm 03/05/14 Permalink
aren't cab licenses fairly expensive?
with regulated cabs there's a certain trust going on where say a single female travelling somewhere has a certain peace of mind that she's going to get where she want's to go without worrying that there might be some other agenda going on with the driver other than a transaction at the destination i've picked up a few drunk girls once in the valley in a magna when the ranks have been ridiculously full, but only because it looked like a cab and i was stuck waiting to turn at some lights i don't think the trust would be there with sober people wanting a ride somewhere and what if you're in an accident and are injured because of an at fault after getting into one of these? |
12:29pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Oh boy is this a bad idea.
The taxi industry does need a shake-up. The Taxi Council of Queensland are like the Australian Cricket Board before World Series Cricket. A bunch of rich businessmen so out of touch with the real world and in cahoots with Cabcharge, one of the most evil corporations in Australia. There are certain facts about the taxi industry that make it how it is. 1. You have to have a finite number of cabs. Unfortunately this means that there are too many cabs in the off-peak times and not enough cabs in the peak times. 2. The taxi industry is saddled with certain responsibilities that slow it down and make it cost more. Things like providing wheelchair accessible cabs for disabled customers at the same cost as an ordinary cab for an average person. Also providing school runs for kids in special care scenarios and Dept Veterans Affairs jobs and subsidised jobs for people who cannot catch public transport due to their age or medical condition. 3. Registration and Insurance. It costs about $6000 a year for a rego sticker on a cab (largely due to the third party insurance component) and about another $7000 for comprehensive vehicle and passenger liability insurance. 4. Safety cameras. These cameras are great, they not only help stop the dregs of society from attacking the cabbies but they also help prevent rogue cabbies from taking advantage of passengers. Uber cabs is not the answer. Like with any risk, when there isn't a problem, then all is good. But when a problem happens, I wouldn't want to be in an uber cab type scenario. The notion of mini-cabs or gypsy cabs has been floated in Brisbane in the past. But the idea was quashed mainly due to the four reasons i mention. Yes, a lot of political lobbying was done by the corrupt TCQ and the evil Cabcharge, but the central facts of safety and insurance remain. Bonus video from the Checkout about cabcharge. Very accurate report. |
01:36pm 03/05/14 Permalink
i really like the checkout as a show. That ep was good like most are*. They are usually spot on and a great source of consumer wisdom and advice - the greenpeace ethical shopper app stuff with "the ABC is really in bed with the Greens" aside was funny and apt at the moment.
As for uber cab thing - yeah not a great idea - probably will be fine but it only takes once for this kind of thing to end badly. Both for passengers and drivers. *The HDMI thing was amusing |
03:39pm 03/05/14 Permalink
I've no problems with giving a company like Uber my cc details. I've used Uber in sydney to get a hire car home. Normally have to look around for ages for a taxi, but as I was leaving the bar, fired it up, saw about ten cars in the city near by, said where i wanted to go and a driver said he'd be there in a few minutes
watched him on my phone till he pulled up. Since it was a private hire car, unlike the new Uber-X service, it was a luxury car, they provide bottled water and mints, and great service. Cost me about the same when you factor in the cabcharge cc fees, whereas this just comes straight off your cc through the app and you get mailed a detail receipt. uber gets your cc details not the driver. I haven't used the Uber-X service yet, but i'd consider it. The benefits of uber over a taxi is i can read reviews of the driver before I get in his car. And as I think about it more, I suspect that Uber is safer than a Taxi. They aren't some randoms picking you up, they have to apply to uber to be a driver, provide their details, and get rated by other customers. |
05:19pm 03/05/14 Permalink
I tend to think that you are safer using something like uber as opposed to a taxi service.
Using Uber, I use an account (name and details) to request a fare, a driver accepts which shows a connection between to individuals. Any foul play (driver kills passenger) and it would be easily traceable. |
05:26pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Using Uber, I use an account (name and details) to request a fare, a driver accepts which shows a connection between to individuals. Any foul play (driver kills passenger) and it would be easily traceable.Yeah, unless the details the driver used were fake. What's the verification process? Licence plate number would be the only thing that they'd have to be honest on and if you're on the piss and need a lift that's something you'd easily miss. It's also not very comforting that my killer will be brought to justice I think I'd much rather be alive :P Am I right in saying that if you're involved in an accident while riding in a taxi you'd be covered by their insurance? Does regular CTP insurance apply to passengers who are in the car if the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes? If it isn't, seems like a big risk to leave yourself exposed like that. Car accidents that cause grave injuries aren't exactly rare. |
08:52pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Does regular CTP insurance apply to passengers who are in the car if the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes?No, all insurances are null and void once the vehicle is used for hire. |
08:54pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Am I right in saying that if you're involved in an accident while riding in a taxi you'd be covered by their insurance? Does regular CTP insurance apply to passengers who are in the car if the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes? If it isn't, seems like a big risk to leave yourself exposed like that. Car accidents that cause grave injuries aren't exactly rare. So you're not comforted by the fact that your killer will be brought to justice but you're worried that if you end up a vegetable you'll get an insurance payout... |
09:53pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Well no I am not comforted by the fact that my killer will be brought to justice because I'd be well, dead. Really though the whole driver using this as a means to abduct and kill people me seems like so much of a small risk that it isn't worth worrying about. There are easier ways for killers to find victims than this.
To me the real concern is the insurance issue. |
10:06pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Under CTP legislation there are premiums for various types of vehicles, one class of which is hire cars.
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10:18pm 03/05/14 Permalink
Why the f*** would I want some smelly arse random in my car for a few dollars?
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10:22pm 03/05/14 Permalink
after looking into this a bit further it does look like a very cleverly developed scheme to promote taxi industries with a fresh face on the incumbent payment systems rather than to supplant or usurp them
but i could be looking at it a bit overly optimistic tonight what of it if/when a base operator finds out about a driver moonlighting without prior agreement in a company vehicle that they're paying to maintain? bootana. |
11:53pm 03/05/14 Permalink
what if you are using said company car and you pick up some random from the app who seems fine (good rep) but tnite he has been on the piss and just had a shocker. Dog died, girl left, some political thread annoying him etc etc and you say something that sets him off and he totally goes ape s*** and trashes your car interior and goes for you to. After all taxi drivers get into that sort of situation all the time - the rep system would mean it would be a one time thing - but if its your car the one time,,,
If its a corp car how are you going to explain that and if its your car that is going to be expensive and insurance is going to be iffy about it that said im already all set to be staying in two airBnB places this month in Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto) soooooooooo maybe i should take the car trip version on a bit of faith |
03:44am 04/05/14 Permalink
Why the f*** would I want some smelly arse random in my car for a few dollars? you can clean vinyl cant you? |
06:21am 04/05/14 Permalink
hardware...
But when a problem happens, I wouldn't want to be in an uber cab type scenario. Uber: "Each partner-driver is required to have personal vehicle insurance which is supplemented by Uber's contingent excess liability policy that provides up to $5 million of coverage per incident." "All ridesharing partners must be at least 24 years of age, and drive a registered, 2005 or later model four-door vehicle under a full driver's licence" "All ridesharing drivers must also pass a rigorous criminal history police check, as well as undergoing a driving history check provided by the Roads & Maritime Services in NSW, or the Department of Transport and Main Roads in Queensland." Source: http://www.cnet.com.au/uber-defends-ridesharing-after-taxi-councils-talk-of-risk-339347152.htm |
09:21am 04/05/14 Permalink
fpot...
Yeah, unless the details the driver used were fake. What's the verification process? As mentioned in the above post there are background checks done on the drivers. What's the difference between a driver using fake details for Uber or to become a cab driver? My brother caught one home last night for free. He clicked that he needed a ride and then watched the car approaching on the map. He could see the drivers name and picture and that he had a Mazda 2. The fare would have been $11 but free for now. He said the driver was really friendly. You have to review each driver after every ride. |
09:29am 04/05/14 Permalink
Oh well yeah sweet. Now that I know this I'm on board. will probably give it a try sometime. My taxi fares are usually $60+.
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09:46am 04/05/14 Permalink
k just had my first got at this. This is part of the email receipt:
TRIP REQUEST DATE May 4, 2014 at 08:58pm DISTANCE 2.56 kilometers DURATION 4 minutes, 56 seconds AVERAGE SPEED 31.10 km/h Charge Summary CHARGES Base Fare $3.20 Distance $4.08 Time $2.47 Charge subtotal $9.75 DISCOUNTS Rounding Down -$0.75 Thanks for riding in a secret Uber! -$9.00 Discount subtotal -$9.75 TOTALS Total Charges $0.00 Outstanding Balance $0.00 Clicked that I wanted a pickup in the app. First it said there was nobody available. Tried again and it said someone was on their way in 3 minutes. Showed their name and picture, car type and rego. Watched them approach on the map which is basically a little car driving on google maps. Walked out the front of the apartments I was at and there he is in his Prius. Got in, chatted a bit, drove me to where I needed to be. Hopped out. No money exchange. Then I get a receipt in my email saying the above costs. Easy as. I can understand the scepticisms especially towards safety and insurance etc. But the cab industry needs a massive shakeup. Even if Uber isn't the complete answer at least it will shine some light on the industry and what people should be getting for their money. If you give people a taste of the ease of this system then take it away again with laws, people will want it back and the industry will have to supply it. Even if the cost is the same as a cab I would currently choose uber for the simplicity of payment and monitoring the arrival of the cab on the map. |
09:37pm 04/05/14 Permalink
There's nothing stopping anyone from implementing their own taxi company. Why are they duplicating the HDL/DA process with their own?
Once again, I say this is not the answer. They will be extinct in Australia before 2015. |
10:11pm 04/05/14 Permalink
idunno hardware, you were flat out wrong about the insurance situation. On what are you basing your theory that it will be finished by 2015? That they don't have cameras in the cars?
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10:58am 05/05/14 Permalink
I've used it a few times - it's good, but can be pricey. Comes in handy when there are no taxicabs in the city and you're waiting for a very long time for a cab with drunk competition
I have a friend and she swears by it. She says that the driver's are much better than the usual Melbourne taxi lot - she feels safer catching an Uber cab than a regular one. |
11:01am 05/05/14 Permalink
I knew someone who owned a cab company. He said for a few taxi's on the road it costs him $500 000 for the car, fees and licensing.
This app would surely get the attention of the licensing authorities. |
12:26pm 05/05/14 Permalink
uber drivers being fined in victoria, $1700 . ....
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/victoria-government-issues-1700-fines-to-uber-ridesharing-drivers-as-media-gaffe-surfaces-20140508-zr6yp.html |
06:47am 09/05/14 Permalink
Wow, TOTALLY did not see anyone being fined as a commercial driver without commercial licensing.
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10:04am 09/05/14 Permalink
Lol, the rain of punishment will just continue to flow, they'll be gone by the end of the year.
Like i said before, why are they trying to duplicate the Hire Drivers Licence procedure? This isn't a taxi industry thing, this is a state & federal government thing. |
08:33pm 09/05/14 Permalink
