Dundee’s taxi industry is preparing to face a major shake-up after Uber confirmed it will be arriving in Tayside.
Councillors have granted the sometimes controversial global company – which offers ridesharing, food delivery and freight transport services – a taxi licence in the city.
Uber already carries passengers around Edinburgh and Glasgow.
And it has suggested it could start operating taxis in Dundee later this year.
Its business model is based on a ride-hailing app that allows customers to call a taxi by entering their journey information.
Uber rides are requested via the app, with updates provided on their estimated arrival and current location.
They can also learn about nearby drivers’ names, model of car and even ratings from other customers.
As expected there have been mixed reactions to the news that Uber is bringing this service to Dundee.
Uber has also previously faced criticism for the way it operates and decisions that the company has made.
Here are seven times the company has been caught up in controversy.
1. Price hike scandal
The company has faced controversy for how much it charges for fares in the past.
The firm was criticised for hiking prices in New York during Hurricane Sandy in November 2012.
Much of the city’s public transport was badly affected by the extreme weather and some fares were doubled due to Uber’s “surge” pricing system.
Uber’s “dynamic pricing model” can prove controversial in of itself.
This means your taxi ride home on a busy Saturday night in Dundee is likely to hit your pockets harder.
2. Public safety
Safety concerns have previously been raised about Uber’s services and the effectiveness of its background checks on drivers. And it is facing many related lawsuits in the US.
In 2019, the company reminded its drivers to seek verification after a South Carolina student is alleged to have been murdered after getting into the wrong car after mistaking it for an Uber.
This followed a CNN investigation in 2018 that revealed more than 100 Uber drivers were facing accusations of sexual assaults and abuse.
An Uber spokesperson told the US broadcaster: “We are committed to doing more.
“Sexual assault is a horrible crime that has no place anywhere.
“While Uber is not immune to this societal issue, we want to be part of the solution to end this violence forever.”
In April this year Uber also introduced more safety features.
These include live location sharing and PIN verification for customers.
All Uber drivers will need to go through relevant police checks and background reports before operating vehicles in the city.
The company has a number of guidelines which focus on women’s safety.
3. Black cab drivers rail against Uber in London
Uber already operates in 59 cities and towns across the country.
This includes London and earlier this year almost 11,000 of the city’s taxi drivers launched a £250 million legal case against the company.
They accused Uber of breaching the UK capital’s taxi booking rules to help it gain a licence, taking direct bookings instead of using a central system.
The case focuses on the period between 2012 and 2018 – and the black cabbies have claimed Uber deliberately misled Transport for London.
An Uber spokesperson told BBC News that the claims were “completely unfounded” and that it “operates lawfully in London.”
4. Uber in hot water over pay
Uber has also found itself facing controversy over the rates it offers to its workers.
Each city it operates in has a minimum payment per ride in place.
And drivers’ fees can increase during periods of high demand.
In March, the company threatened to leave Minneapolis after the city council there put a minimum pay order of $5 (£3.95) per ride in place.
And in April around 100 drivers in Birmingham (UK) took strike action after claiming they had experienced a reduction in pay. Other British cities also saw strikes on Valentine’s Day.
At the time Uber insisted that their drivers all received the National Living Wage and holiday pay.
5. Rubbing private taxi owners up the wrong way
The company has faced the wrath of other taxi drivers across the world as well.
In March, it agreed to a A$271.8m (£140m) pay out after it was accused of moving “aggressively” into Australia.
The action was first taken by around 8,000 taxi drivers in 2019.
They alleged Uber had caused them to lose earnings.
This was one of several occasions when competing drivers have protested against the company’s practices.
An Uber statement said: “Uber has made significant contributions into various state-level taxi compensation schemes.”
Uber won a similar lawsuit filed by 2,500 French taxi drivers in December 2023.
6. Self-driving
Uber has used self-driving vehicles in the United States, but it will likely be a while until these arrive in Dundee.
The company faced a backlash in 2018 when a self-driving Uber struck and killed a pedestrian.
An Uber driver was behind the wheel, but was watching television instead of monitoring the car.
This was the first recorded death involving a self-driving vehicle.
Uber reached a settlement with the victim’s family less than two weeks after her death. The company did not face criminal charges.
7. Drivers displeased with commission rates
Another aspect of Uber-related pay controversy surrounds the amount of commission it takes.
One instance of this was in December 2022 when around 300 taxi drivers demonstrated against the rates in Bristol.
The Bristol United Private Hire Drivers union claimed Uber were receiving more than 50% in commission from fares.
But the company estimated the average is nearer 25% and said it doesn’t pocket 50%.
Conversation