Passengers pulled from 'illegal' Uber cab

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Reply # 1211723 10-Jan-2015 20:05

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Andib:
sbiddle: I'm also interested to know why the Police are involved. Any such issues are dealt with by the NZTA who are responsible for the enforcement of laws regarding private hire and taxi vehicles.

The Police better hope they have a good knowledge of what they are doing, because they run a real risk if they're simply being told to do something of ending with egg on their face. In Melbourne they start pulling Uber cars off the road and fining drivers but there is a very good chance the Police will be told in court that they overstepped the law when they did this.

I know the guy involved today. He just got picked up and the cop spotted the pickup and pulled them over 100m down the road. He identified himself as part of the Commercial vehicle enforcement team (CVUI) so I assume they out of any of the police would know the taxi laws. My mate ended up having to get out and walk after the Uber driver was given infringments.

Wow what a small world

GZ wins again.

nathan

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Reply # 1211724 10-Jan-2015 20:08

Yabanize: But everyone knows the uber app isnt a taxi meter.. The fares are set before the trip!

EDIT: Maybe it is? except the metering is done before the trip, its still charged by KM's etc

The metering isn't done before the trip

They used to have fixed price Auckland airport but discontinued this.

Its KMs + time + Surge Pricing (if any!)

Batman

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Reply # 1211726 10-Jan-2015 20:09

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then it's a meter! pretty clear to me!

Mspec

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Reply # 1211728 10-Jan-2015 20:11

I did not realize this was NZ yet , if it was available here in Christchurch I would use it. I have tried Zoomy down here but there are never any available taxis on it.

I guess there is the whole safety thing around it as taxi drivers all had to install cameras not that long ago.

Taxi company's would be dead against it because its more competition.

I am guessing there will have to be a court test case or legislation will be rushed through to stop it.

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Mark

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Reply # 1211738 10-Jan-2015 20:19

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I wonder if the Uber driver(s) have the "P" endorsement on their license ?

sbiddle

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Reply # 1211740 10-Jan-2015 20:21

Mark: I wonder if the Uber driver(s) have the "P" endorsement on their license ?

Yes.

All Uber drivers are required to have a passenger service endorsement, which is a legal requirement to operate a private hire service in NZ.

richms

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Reply # 1211741 10-Jan-2015 20:23

This is BS. Makes me want to take uber even more and not support the out of touch taxi industry who still act as if paying by plastic is something exotic and too much trouble for them to deal with.

Richard rich.ms

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Reply # 1211743 10-Jan-2015 20:24

joker97: then it's a meter! pretty clear to me!

So if Uber are operating illegally, why did it take so long for the NZTA to realise? Surely that shows a complete an utter failing of the NZTA?

freitasm

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Reply # 1211746 10-Jan-2015 20:33

As above, someone in the taxi federation has a high up friend... And complained about it.

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NZtechfreak

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Reply # 1211750 10-Jan-2015 20:42

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This just raises more ill-will toward taxi companies for me. Seriously, after catching an Uber for the first time (a while ago now) I never wanted to catch another regular can again. Apart from being a completely seamless end to end experience, it's usually around half the price I've paid in the past four regular cabs. The Taxi companies are like content rights holders, dinosaurs who can't work out how to compete in a new world and resort to all this bull$hit patch protection. I mean, have they actually innovated or changed their offering AT ALL to respond to new competition? Just checked and co-op don't even have an app, if you can't work out by now you need an app for a service like this and in the face of Uber, you deserve to lose market.

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nathan

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Reply # 1211751 10-Jan-2015 20:42

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Not surprising. All sun-setting industries would try to drag this out as long as possible kicking and screaming

My guess is a taxi number from AKL Co-Op would cost you $100K to buy, so they obviously want to protect this value

We actually do have a competitive taxi industry in NZ compared to AU

I use Uber because:

-No waiting on hold our even taking to operator to book
-Knowing how far away my pickup is (operator says we will send the next available, I've waited 20-30 mins before when I could be at my desk still working)
-Not dealing with payment at end, adding minutes to my trip, signing/pin; oh my machines broken lets zipzap; oh the cell connection failed, we need to do that transaction all over again
-its generally cheaper

Yabanize

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Reply # 1211755 10-Jan-2015 20:49

Yeah it is pretty similar to the way the MPAA is acting with copyright, getting their friends in the government to help

nathan

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Reply # 1211756 10-Jan-2015 20:52

Presumably Govt charges something for a taxi license too as well as the cost of P endorsement on drivers license.

scottr

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Reply # 1211759 10-Jan-2015 21:02

Have taken several uber rides (~10 all up), all but 1 has been an off duty taxi.

You can get an estimate before you jump in but you have to actively request an estimate otherwise you can just request the ride. Once in you have no idea of the cost until the ride ends.

When you jump in the driver starts the ride by pressing a button on their phone and when you jump out the driver ends the ride by pressing a button on their phone. I find it a bit of a stretch to say it's not a meter because while there's no numbers ticking over in the car, the ride certainly is metered as the driver initiates start and stop events and you're charged on distance and time.

Overall I've found them considerably cheaper and will continue to use them where possible - however surge pricing is a ridiculous concept and I hope they ditch it sooner than later.

sir1963

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Reply # 1211762 10-Jan-2015 21:08

So did the driver have:
- A passenger Vehicle Licence

There is no need for a "meter" as various shuttle services work on a fix fare (typically to airports), however the drivers are still required to have the requisite licence class.

I will also get interesting tax / ACC wise

This is not a change in tech, illegal axis have been operating from the likes of airports, bus stops, railway stations for decades, the iPhone App simply increases the number of options where these illegal taxis can operate from with a 3rd party taking a cut.

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