City taxis buyout Mercury taxis in uber scare

[Dan12 10]

Uber have the Sheffield taxis running scared, oh dear !

So the greedy operators in Sheffield have competition at last,it's the drivers who will suffer due to insufficient work from their operators SHEFFIELD CITY TAXIS LTD...it's about time if you ask me ! The shareholders of CITY all live the high life in their big fancy houses and drive around in cars such as Porsche and Mercedes whilst their self employed drivers scratch around struggling for work doing 70 hours a week plus !!!!! COME ON UBER let's shake em up and give the hard working drivers in Sheffield an alternative instead of CITY who are slowly but surely monopolising this industry in Sheffield

[Cyclone 10]

Ignoring that this just appears to be a rant that's pretty light on facts... What stops the self-employed drivers launching their own new taxi companies, nobody makes them work for city or mercury.

[Alcoblog 10]

Uber have the Sheffield taxis running scared, oh dear !

So the greedy operators in Sheffield have competition at last,it's the drivers who will suffer due to insufficient work from their operators SHEFFIELD CITY TAXIS LTD...it's about time if you ask me ! The shareholders of CITY all live the high life in their big fancy houses and drive around in cars such as Porsche and Mercedes whilst their self employed drivers scratch around struggling for work doing 70 hours a week plus !!!!! COME ON UBER let's shake em up and give the hard working drivers in Sheffield an alternative instead of CITY who are slowly but surely monopolising this industry in Sheffield

 

Excuse me, but what've Sheffield City Taxi got to do with Mercury?

Sheffield City Taxi's are rubbish, whereas Mercury are a really decent private company who, not only the drivers say are good to work for (I ask them), but are completely reliable and provide decent cars. For instance, I was recently collected in an AMG Mercedes and have been taken (quickly) to the railway station in the owners new Roller some years ago, when they were having a prob getting a car to me on time (they wouldn't even charge me because it's illegal to charge in a private car, not registered as a taxi) ... so far as I'm concerned, that's good service.

 

If Mercury have been bought my City Taxis I'll be pretty distraught (in an Alcoblog sort of way).

[geared 302]

I see no information about Uber launching in Sheffield.

 

There are several similar firms tho, so I'm sure one will eventually.

[alternageek 10]

We had a city driver, who we think is the shop steward, and he was saying its coming soon. No definite date given, but they are going to launch in Sheffield within the next 12-18 months. Council is already in receipt of application to operate.

[geared 302]

Uber bother to ask permission to operate??

[chocki 13]

Uber bother to ask permission to operate??

 

Who's Uber? Never heard of them!

[lfc321 10]

You genuinely think Uber are better to drive for than existing taxi companies? Have you read anything about the experiences of Uber drivers? e.g. https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/09/against-sharing/

 

Their whole business model is based on zero rights for drivers, which is how the costs are kept so low.

[taxman 12]

COME ON UBER let's shake em up and give the hard working drivers in Sheffield an alternative instead of CITY who are slowly but surely monopolising this industry in Sheffield

 

Why would working for Uber be any better than working for any other taxi company?

[GerryBooth 10]

How would a taxi driver earn more with Uber?

 

I usually order a taxi with Mercury as they are honest with you and the drivers charge the right fare. If Iam in a hurry and in a part of the City where Mercury is weak then I order City but expext to be overcharged and depending in what mood I am whether I want to argue.

 

The drivers pay a mint in radio rent with no guarantee of regular work. The companies will gladly take on drivers, the more drivers the more radio rent but the more drivers the less work to go around. I see them them regulary park up for up to an hour waiting for a job to come. How can that pay?

 

And as for the Hackneys down at the station. You are no 70 in the queue and eventally get to front then a passenger wants Hallam Univerity. Gutted! How they earn A living is anybody's guess!

[dangerousedd 10]

don't uber have variable fare rates depending on the time of day?

[Owethemnowt 10]

Worst drivers on the road all of them. They don't signal but they do drive at excessive speed, park anywhere at any time and follow too closely.

 

That's something the Council should tackle.