City taxis buyout Mercury taxis in uber scare

[*_ash_* 88]

Certain taxi drivers I've used struggle with satnav let alone actually navigating their way to somewhere obscure - there's a firm I've used occasionally near Manchester that I have had the displeasure of using who don't know where things are in the next village and I the visitor have to direct them. Driverless cars can't come soon enough for them.

 

Well precisely. Though currently most 'out of town' cars are from Sheffield, the door is now open for anyone to come here. It reflects badly on me and all of us in the trade.

 

In the last few weeks that I've been back on the road, I've only used my satnav for out of town work and a couple of times to help me find house numbers on Sicey, and I've been surprised/shocked at how many customers are surprised when I know the street where they want to go! It's dreadful.

 

When I get in a taxi I would expect the driver to know where I want to go (within reason - i.e. in my car, a small road, I might ask what it runs off). Saying that, I always say which way I want to go.

[EODM83 10]

I love Uber - It's brilliant, fast effective reliable and really decently priced.

 

If theres a surge you just set the notification to when it stops, and have another pint. City taxis are my last resort really, but never had to use them since Uber came in. I live near Wadsley bridge and never had a problem using them, i was at newcastle the other weekend and used them there too, so many features that far surpass your regular taxi ride. Long may they prosper.

[sgtkate 10]

fair enough

 

 

 

My god how many times?

 

I'm not worried about Uber taking our work in Sheffield. I've said enough times that I don't think it will work.

 

Are you aware of the Deregulation Act 2015, that what I've been harping on about?

 

This is what I wrote and you quoted earlier:

 

 

 

As I wrote in the last post, do you think it's profitable for a driver to drive all the way from Angelsey every day? Or Newcastle, or Nottingham, or Chester, or Dewsbury? (these are all ones I see regularly)

 

Can you give me a reason why you think they are here? I've already said the answer.

 

I agree with you on the deregulation act. I think it's awful and creates issues like we already have. But the issue exists outside of Uber as much as within it. There are taxis from Rotherham picking up in Sheffield all the time, Network are based in Derbyshire, and loads of cars from Gedling are starting to show up too. This was before Uber even arrived here.

 

It's blatantly obvious why they are here, because they can get a license more easily than waiting for a Sheffield badge, however this is not an Uber issue, it's a TAXI issue.

[EODM83 10]

Just had an email they're starting in Rotherham!

[jamesogt 11]

The deregulation will only help Uber.

 

I have also found them to be great, occasionally difficult to get but cheaper and more efficient. Win Win. They have also given me over £150 in referrals.

 

Lets face it the biggest boy in the playground of the Sheffield Taxi scene is no longer the biggest boy and it doesn't like it. The drivers were like some form of mafia, finally we have a company that is here for the customer. Any other business would have folded years ago treating customers the way some taxi firms/drivers do. Unreliable, rude and unfriendly.

 

Healthy competition is good for all. If we lose the poor drivers/service it will be lapped up by the stronger, just like in the wild.

 

There is also a lot of scaremongering that they are 'Foreign' and that money will be leaving Sheffield. The drivers are still local (ish) where do you think all the other profits go? They are still employing local people.

 

Lets just hope they can get more drivers like Leeds, London and Manchester where they are changing things for the better. For the customer!

[*_ash_* 88]

I love Uber - It's brilliant, fast effective reliable and really decently priced.

 

If theres a surge you just set the notification to when it stops, and have another pint. City taxis are my last resort really, but never had to use them since Uber came in. I live near Wadsley bridge and never had a problem using them, i was at newcastle the other weekend and used them there too, so many features that far surpass your regular taxi ride. Long may they prosper.

 

bold: say no more. We aren't even people anymore

 

(underlined btw, the 'buy another pint' excuse will only work once with the Mrs )

 

I agree with you on the deregulation act. I think it's awful and creates issues like we already have. But the issue exists outside of Uber as much as within it. There are taxis from Rotherham picking up in Sheffield all the time, Network are based in Derbyshire, and loads of cars from Gedling are starting to show up too. This was before Uber even arrived here.

 

Goosing has always been around, I'll not deny that sgt.

 

Underlined: There is one VERY small difference with Network and the new act. NOW, 'HACKNEYS' can work anywhere for a company as a PHV. Out of town hackneys more often than not (big cities only have insisted on LTIs) are not London Taxis, they are 'normal cars'. Network has always bent the rules, we all know this, that's not slander btw, bending rules is legally fine

 

Now though, you just see how many more 'out of town councils' Network take on (and others I might say). All legally classed as Hackneys, but normal cars.

 

I've never approved of goosing of course , it just happens, but I've never liked 'out of towners' goosing, because if anything bad happens to a person... people will blame us all... even if it's a rogue taxi!! (I can provide evidence to this quite easily)

 

-

 

I'm all for competition because it keeps standards up, but this is a sudden change in the law that clearly makes the whole balance incredibly one-sided and against cities that have drivers who conform to much stricter regulations to who they allow to transport their citizens and in what vehicles.

 

I can't believe it's not obvious to the outside world. I read the Uber drivers already wondering what's going to happen after this week when Uber have introduced Rotherham and Nottingham into the mix.

 

They are already making sod all.

 

-

 

It's blatantly obvious why they are here, because they can get a license more easily than waiting for a Sheffield badge, however this is not an Uber issue, it's a TAXI issue.

 

It's the dereg issue. It's an ill thought out dereg rule that the whole trade has been fighting against.

 

The deregulation will only help Uber.

 

It will help them yes, but it also helps anyone who hasn't met the required targets for some councils but not others. Cities tend to have much stricter rules than villages.

 

Look for Gedling, Rossendale, Kirklees in your days ahead

 

Can anyone tell me where Rossendale is without Googling it?

 

-

 

Look at where the problems are already starting or have started. Leeds, Manchester, London, Bradford, Birmingham, Derby...

 

Fair? Coincidence?

 

Is it just the big cities that have fussy drivers james, or is it because they have worked hard for their badge and paid a lot of money for their vehicles, only to see a ridiculously large/quick change in the law meaning they are basically screwed?

 

Lets face it the biggest boy in the playground of the Sheffield Taxi scene is no longer the biggest boy and it doesn't like it. The drivers were like some form of mafia, finally we have a company that is here for the customer. Any other business would have folded years ago treating customers the way some taxi firms/drivers do. Unreliable, rude and unfriendly.

 

I seem to remember that you've always had sour grapes about something... but to address this line, why not ask the drivers of Excel, Express, Union, City, Ex-Merc, AND UBER what their opinion is of the dereg? I think you'll find that they all agree.

 

There is also a lot of scaremongering that they are 'Foreign' and that money will be leaving Sheffield. The drivers are still local (ish) where do you think all the other profits go? They are still employing local people.

 

Just unbelievable.

Edited October 31, 2015 by *_ash_*

[Hogg 10]

I have used Mercury taxis for years when getting an early train. City have now taken over Mercury. I pre-booked with City last night to catch an early train and this morning they rang me to say they are unable to come. Don't book with City if you have an urgent appointment.

[onewheeldave 22]

I have used Mercury taxis for years when getting an early train. City have now taken over Mercury. I pre-booked with City last night to catch an early train and this morning they rang me to say they are unable to come. Don't book with City if you have an urgent appointment.

 

To be fair, 'pre-booking' will not guarantee a taxi turning up for any taxi company: they simply ring round the drivers as usual near the booking time, and, if there's none in the area, you won't get a taxi.

 

To be honest, I'm impressed that they rang you up to let you know (I recently almost lost my job due to a taxi not turning up- it was Eid, so very few drivers available, but City didn't think to put an announcement on their automated phone booking system, informing customers of that).

[*_ash_* 88]

I have used Mercury taxis for years when getting an early train. City have now taken over Mercury. I pre-booked with City last night to catch an early train and this morning they rang me to say they are unable to come. Don't book with City if you have an urgent appointment.

 

How much time did you leave? and was it just a normal car you booked?

[Vague_Boy 10]

I have used Mercury taxis for years when getting an early train. City have now taken over Mercury. I pre-booked with City last night to catch an early train and this morning they rang me to say they are unable to come.

 

I wouldn't bother pre-booking, just ring when you need a cab.

 

I sometimes get cabs early in the morning, never had to wait long for City to send one.

 

I can remember as a kid in the 1970s my dad pre-booking a taxi to take us to the old coach station at Ponds Street. Waiting for it to turn up, phone calls to check where it is, more waiting.

 

City are way better than that in my experience.

[jamesogt 11]

So City will be charging fare + half, over parts of the festive period. Basically sticking a finger up to all those working people that need to use them to get to and from work still working for minimum wage.

 

The only reason they dropped to fair +£2 was because Mercury did it. Now they have bought Mercury, back to the same old.

 

Hoping that Uber have plenty of drivers over from Rotherham and Chesterfield so they can keep the surge down

[onewheeldave 22]

How much time did you leave? and was it just a normal car you booked?

 

I see from some of your posts that you're pretty clued up about how taxis work.

 

So you must surely be aware of the fact that no pre-booked taxi is guaranteed to turn up?

 

I'm not talking about the obvious unavoidables such as crashes, breakdowns, jams etc. I'm talking about the fact that all Sheffield taxi firms simply check for available drivers near the booking time, and, if there are none in the area, the booking will not happen.

 

A client could book a taxi for tommorrow morning @ 9am, and, if there are no taxis in the area when the call goes out before 9, then the booking will not happen. (I've actually been advised by several taxi firms that it's generally better to ring just before you want the taxi, rather than the day before.)

 

You are aware of that, aren't you?