Why is Uber claiming to run taxis in Dundee?

Taxi giant Uber is still not operating in Dundee, a year after getting a licence – despite claiming on its website that it is.

Councillors approved the firm’s plans to operate an office from the Flour Mill complex in June last year.

It was believed Uber’s arrival in Dundee would see a major shake-up in the taxi industry.

The ride-hailing service initially planned to be up and running in late 2024.

However, the start of 2025 came and went, and Uber was nowhere to be seen.

One year since the licence was approved, Uber has still not launched in Dundee, despite telling online customers the service IS available.

What happens when you try to book an Uber in Dundee?

According to a dedicated Dundee section on the Uber website, the company is already operating in the city.

In a frequently asked questions section of the page, one question says: “Is Uber available in Dundee?”

The answer says: “Yes. The Uber app gives you the power to request a ride to get around Dundee anytime, 24/7.”

It even tells visitors to the page that those without a car can get around in Dundee by opening the Uber app to request a driver in Dundee.

When trying to book a journey, the service gives the appearance of letting customers book a ride in Dundee and displays a price.

The Courier tried to book a ride from Albert Square to the V&A – a journey priced at £4.87.

It only gave UberX as an option – the most common and basic ride option; however, it also stated that “UberX is unavailable”.

The Courier ran a similar test in Glasgow, from Queen Street railway station to the King’s Theatre.

During this test, the site gave us several ride options at various price points, including Exec (high-end cars with top-rated drivers) and UberXL (for rides for groups of up to six).

Additionally, the map allowed us to see active drivers in the area, unlike in Dundee.

Most importantly, it gave us the option to request a journey.

Uber app imposes pending charge for Dundee trip

Meanwhile, when trying to book a journey on the app, the service allows users to request a journey in Dundee and starts “finding drivers nearby”.

At this stage, the app even imposes a pending charge on the user for the journey.

When The Courier tried the app for a trip from Dundee to Broughty Ferry, a charge of £14.14 appeared as pending on our journalist’s bank account.

The app continued to search for a driver for several minutes before telling us the service was “busier than usual”.

Eventually, the search timed out and stated: “UberX is currently unavailable.”

The pending charge for the journey was quickly refunded.

The Courier has tried to book similar rides in Dundee on several occasions over the last year, but on each occasion, after going through the above process, we have been told the service is unavailable.

What is Uber saying about its plans in Dundee?

Uber has been contacted by The Courier for an update on its plans on numerous occasions since it was granted the licence, as we seek to find out when its service will formally launch in Dundee.

The firm has failed to respond to us each time.

We did manage to make contact with one Uber representative last week, but our queries to that individual have since gone unanswered.

Councillor Stewart Hunter, Dundee City Council’s licensing convener, told The Courier he is not aware of any movement from Uber since it gained its licence.

He told us he is “not aware” of whether the firm has secured any vehicles or drivers yet.

Uber teething issues in Aberdeen

Uber was also granted a licence to bring its ride-hailing service to Aberdeen in June 2024, but the launch in the north-east was not without its issues.

The company were forced to hit the brakes on driver recruitment after a legal challenge.

Uber finally launched in the Granite City at the end of October 2024, however, the service has struggled to get off the ground.

The Courier’s sister title, The Press and Journal, revealed last month how Uber has a shortage of licensed drivers, with the company citing Aberdeen City Council’s onerous street knowledge test as the reason for this.

Uber’s efforts to get up and running in Dundee also appear to have stalled so far.