Introducing UberTAXI | Hacker News Reader

Introducing UberTAXI

blog.uber.com

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

edit: DST is hard

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!

It's 23 C outside. Maybe warm for London, but not "summer".

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.

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-s...

This is the perfect time for Uber to announce the new option

14:00 BST is 13:00 UTC, not 15:00 UTC.

Give me a sec I have some code I need to fix...

> "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.

Or if you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em

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.

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.

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.

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

I wonder if this is part of some larger campaign -- maybe there are more Uber* stuff going on in other cities? UberRICKSHAW!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

> ...from a company with less questionable ethics

Ok, I'll bite. What is questionable about Uber's ethics?

On top of what others have mentioned, Uber has also been caught sabotaging competing car services by ordering their cars and canceling them as a physical denial of service attack against the other company.

They didn't even apologize for that one, only stating that the marketing team was "overzealous". As far as anyone is aware nobody was reprimanded in any way over this debacle, which is par for the course as far as Uber goes.

Uber the product is great, Uber the company is shady as all get out. This is why I don't trust them to shape regulation any more than I trust the existing taxi lobby. They're all purely self-serving and anti-consumer when they think they can get away with it.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/24/technology/social/uber-gett/

Oh, you know, just a few things:

http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-used-the-boston-bombing-ann...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/28/uber-s-bigg...

http://pando.com/2012/10/24/travis-shrugged/

http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Ride-Service-May-Po...

http://pando.com/2014/04/24/uberx-allegedly-hired-a-convicte...

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Uber-sued-over-girl-s-...

They are shifting all of the liability to the people who can least afford it. So far they have done everything in their power to not protect drivers like in the case last month. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Uber-denies-fault-in-S... An uber driver killed a girl, but Uber is claiming they are not liable because he did not have an active fare at the time. It is unlikely this driver can ever make the family whole.

Additionally many car sharing services are operating without regard to the law. In some states the cars are getting seized. So far Uber has been covering the legal case, but they have no obligation to continue to do so.

Not to say that Uber does not have questionable ethics, but I think your two examples are wrong. Uber is now insuring their drivers as long as they are logged into the app. http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/14/5508568/uber-expands-drive...

The car seizure you reference was in Belgium for a service that technically complies with local laws according to Uber and they are providing legal assistance to the two owners of the seized cars. http://tech.eu/news/screw-innovation-uber-already-deemed-ill...

You mention that so far Uber is covering the legal costs without an obligation to do so. So that makes them bad?

So Uber is saying their insurance will cover 125k? This is not an adequate amount of coverage, and they are still shifting any liability away from the company, onto people who cannot afford the consequences. Who pays in a tragedy like this?

There have been many car seizures in the US and abroad. Many of these independent contractors do not have the resources to fight a legal battle without the help of Uber.

Things like its "Safe Rides Fee": http://valleywag.gawker.com/why-is-uber-charging-you-extra-t...

And questionable promotions: http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-used-the-boston-bombing-ann...

And [allegedly] intentionally triggering surge pricing: http://www.thewire.com/technology/2014/02/uber-busted-intent...

And otherwise just acting as if the rules just don't apply to them: http://www.straight.com/news/uber-town-car-service-shut-down...

We may not like fees and the Boston promo may be tasteless but they aren't unethical.

I don't see a problem with surge pricing. If people aren't willing to pay then it won't last long. I'd like to see them have a bidding system to make it purely market driven.

I also don't see anything unethical with fighting unethical laws. Here in Austin we're in a very similar situation. The existing transportation companies have passed laws to entrench their positions and eliminate competition (eg min "black car" fares). Those laws are unethical. They do not protect us, they are anti-consumer.

insurance situation is still quite ambiguous; also no phone number - even for emergencies. Get into a worst case scenario accident, and a passenger dies in your Uber? Sorry no phone number, send an email with details and pics.

I didn't know Halio was London based I swear by Uber in Toronto and will use it in London when I'm there next. A long time ago (year and half?) I looked up what the difference between the two was and it wasn't much. Comparing apples to apples, namely, plain old taxi service, they aren't much different but Uber is straight no minimums, gratuity set to a standard rate. I decided not try Halio at the time and stick with the Uber I'd been supporting (arbitrary I know) and enjoy not having to worry about any settings or anything. Hail cab, hop in, hop out, done.

On the business side I think Halio is an actual cab dispatcher company, whereas Uber is just an app service that any cabbie can use..... Anyways, yeah, have nothing but good things to say about Uber and kind of laugh at the mess going on in London right now

One of the main benefits over Hailo is that it doesn't appear to have Hailo's minimum pricing: https://hailocab.com/drivers/blog/2013/02/04/minimum-fares-s...

I imagine it will also have different drivers, so it may be worthwhile having both apps. I often find myself with a 10 minute wait for Uber when a Hailo taxi is 2 minutes away, and vice-versa.

> 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

He may be referring to this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7115177

So why is it bad for Hailo to do private cab hire booking?

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)

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Real. Been using it since 2010. Unapologetic fanboy.

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.

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.

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

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?ci...

According to the announcement in OP, the 5% commission is paid by the driver, the rider still pays the exact same regulated fare right. At least that's how I read it, I think that's what "commission" usually means.

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.

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.

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#...

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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)

So... it's like a taxi?

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.

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