Quote:
Originally Posted by Mizter T
On 22/04/2016 18:23, Robin9 wrote:
Offramp:
I know nothing about it - but I bet Uber has something to do with it.
You won't find many people willing to take your bet!
I've been hearing on LBC an advert about an app for "legal taxis"
which I assume means London Hackney Cabs. Leaving aside the
oh so typical attempt to suggest that minicabs are illegal, this app
is significant. It shows that at long last the Hackney Cab trade is
prepared to compete with Uber whereas previously they were
demanding that politicians remove all competition from the playing
field.
Both the Hailo and Gett (formerly Get Taxi) apps that offer this have
been operating in London since 2011, before Uber arrived here in 2012.
Many taxi drivers fell out of love with Hailo when it also started
offering private hire (minicab) bookings as well, though I think this
was defended by them as being more of a 'back up' should no taxis be
available.
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Well, this proves quite conclusively that Uber have massively
outperformed the Hackney cab trade. They had an app (two to
be precise) to which the general public did not respond with any
great enthusiasm. Uber come along with no experience in the
London market and promptly persuade most young people with
smart phones that this is the way to book cabs.
It has not been widely publicised but conventional minicab firms
are also suffering from competition from Uber. I was told recently
by a staff member at Marie Stopes in Buckhurst Hill that whereas
previously they used to book minicabs for their clients, nowadays
the clients prefer to do it themselves with Uber via a smart phone.