Uber licence 'not renewed' in London - thoughts?

Warwick_Hunt

adindas wrote: »

Do you really live in London ???? Did you know that majority of taxi in London are not black cab. Try to find taxi in Zone 3, 4, 5, etc. there are not a lot of black cab.

Many local taxi companies are hiring benefit cheaters who keep receiving benefit but work as taxi drivers in the evening, taking people to the airport, using their private cars.

Go on then I'll bite.

Show us a taxi in London that's not a black cab.

But don't include mini cabs as they aren't taxis.

Nodding_Donkey

Yes they are

taxi
NOUN

1A motor vehicle licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare and typically fitted with a taximeter.

You're confusing taxi and hackney-carriage

[Deleted User]

Warwick_Hunt wrote: »

Go on then I'll bite.

Show us a taxi in London that's not a black cab.

But don't include mini cabs as they aren't taxis.

Actually most cabs in London aren't black, they're just very very very dark blue.

Warwick_Hunt

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Yes they are

taxi
NOUN

1A motor vehicle licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare and typically fitted with a taximeter.

You're confusing taxi and hackney-carriage

TFL class a hackney carriage as a taxi anything else is a mini cab.

adindas

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Yes they are

taxi
NOUN

1A motor vehicle licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare and typically fitted with a taximeter.

Warwick_Hunt wrote: »

Go on then I'll bite.

Show us a taxi in London that's not a black cab.

But don't include mini cabs as they aren't taxis.

Do not be fooled by Black Cab about the narrow definition of taxi.

The choice should be left to people who pay for it to choose which one to use.

Use the above definition of taxi. With this definition Mini Cabbies are taxi. There are many mini cab firms in London. Some are established, long standing well run & respectable businesses.

Mercdriver

adindas wrote: »

Do not be fooled by Black Cab about the narrow definition of taxi.

The choice should be left to people who pay for it to choose which one to use.

Use the above definition of taxi. With this definition Mini Cabbies are taxi. There are many mini cab firms in London. Some are established, long standing well run & respectable businesses.

There is a very important differing element between mini cabs and taxis. You can hail a taxi, you have to prebook a minicab. This definition is used throughout the UK by the licensing authorities.

Just because colloquially, people call them all taxis doesn't make it correct. the difference between them is real and the safety of many people, paticularly women depends on the difference being maintained.

Warwick_Hunt

adindas wrote: »

Do not be fooled by Black Cab about the narrow definition of taxi.

The choice should be left to people who pay for it to choose which one to use.

Use the above definition of taxi. With this definition Mini Cabbies are taxi. There are many mini cab firms in London. Some are established, long standing well run & respectable businesses.

Why not use the TLF definition?

After this is about London "taxis".

unholyangel

SingleSue wrote: »

So if the appeal doesn't work, what would be a workable alternative for our situation.

Son is Aspergic and is unable to deal with the underground, with Uber he could stand outside the station and organise an Uber car via the app to pick him up from his location and take him to the other station and all whilst knowing how much it is going to cost him, the driver's details, the car details and where they are.

He is unable to hail a cab, he is unable to go to a taxi rank and speak to a driver, he is unable to ring a taxi company, he rarely carries cash (all of these points are incredibly frustrating to me as a parent but no amount of therapies have changed the outcome).

So is there an alternative? A taxi company who will use an app to pinpoint his position, take payment automatically etc. He uses such an app in his uni town (Northampton) easily but is there a trusted one in London he can use that doesn't charge the earth?

For what it is worth, have used Uber quite regularly in London over the last few years and have never had a problem, even though I am a wheelchair user. We liked the ease of use over trying to find a cab who would be willing to wait while we folded up the wheelchair and horrors of horrors, wanting to put it in their boot (oh and being charged extra for the pleasure)

Most taxi firms have computerised dispatch systems now - and most of those dispatch systems include an app, textback/ringback, the ability to pay by card (or request a car with chip & pin) etc (although whether the firm utilise those features is another matter). If they put the details of the cars on the system then the textback should give you details on your car/driver.

Try calling your local firms when they aren't busy (my grandparents owned taxi firms and a controllers job is to take/dispatch hires so you get better results from them on enquiries when you call during their quiet periods) or email them and explain your issue and see what they can offer to make things easier on your son? This is especially a good idea if your son gets taxis with any regularity - to start it might be more difficult but over time he will get to know them, they'll get to know him and (again, especially if he's a regular), they're more likely to go above & beyond for him.

Andy_L wrote: »

Its illegal for a black cab to charge extra to carry a wheelchair. You should report them.

Can't say if its the same all over but around here, hackneys are allowed to turn their meter on either at the booked time (if it was booked) or as soon as they make contact with the customer (which can be a wave out the window). Many of them don't actually do this - as passengers tend to think they're getting ripped off if the meters on before the car moves - but they are allowed to do it. Charging someone extra for being in a wheelchair isn't allowed, but in those instances, you're only charging for distance & time the same as you would an able bodied person - not the carriage of the disabled person itself.

Here taxis prices have only increased once in over 10 years and that was a paltry 20p on the minimum fare/first half mile rather than an increase on the rate you pay per x distance.

unholyangel

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Yes they are

taxi
NOUN

1A motor vehicle licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare and typically fitted with a taximeter.

You're confusing taxi and hackney-carriage

You best not look up the definition of hackney then (which is a horse-drawn vehicle for hire). Or hackey-carriage (which is the official term for a taxi).

What warwick hunt said is correct. Taxi is an abbreviation of taxicab/taximeter cab (as the dictionary should tell you). A PHV/minicab is a minicab - not a taxicab/taxi.

ETA: A taxi is not necessarily a black cab though. It can be a normal car. What sets it apart as a taxi is the meter.

greengiant00

PasturesNew wrote: »

Uber seemed like a business model that only suited Uber's pockets - and dodgy drivers.

Cabbies in London were always highly respected for their rule-keeping, law-abiding and knowledgeable skills.

Uber gave "any fool with a car" a license to pick up people and cart them about with a slack abandonment of care, responsibility and accountability.

Black cabs are the "Culture of London". The tourists will be thrilled to use them. It's not quite so great crawling into a grubby Nissan with somebody who grunts as they poke a sat nav.

Does Uber not do background checks on its drivers??
Surely that's a must for anyone providing a taxi service.
I wouldn't feel safe getting into a taxi otherwise.