Uber has a lot of things going for it that Dundee’s taxis don’t.
Factors such as:
- An agreed cost before getting in the car, meaning no nasty surprises at the journey’s end
- An app with GPS, so instead of waiting at a rank, you can order a car to any location, anytime, whether you know the address or not
- The ability to pay by card via the app, instead of relying on cash
make the ride-hailing app appear a welcome competitor to Dundee’s taxi companies.
And last week, when The Courier reported that Uber is still not active in the city despite claiming to have the service here on their app, several readers commented in favour of the prospect of an alternative to taxis.
As someone who has often been frustrated with the reluctance of Dundee taxi companies to move into the 21st century, I can see why.
In Glasgow or Edinburgh, you can hop into just about any taxi knowing you can pay contactless.
Here, you can walk along a full rank asking “do you take card?” and be denied by every taxi there, sometimes with a dirty look thrown in as if you’ve caused offence by asking.
That’s fine for folk who are prepared and have cash safely stowed on their person. But the truth is, rightly or wrongly, most people don’t carry cash nowadays.
First world problems for sure, but it’s a bad look for Dundee nonetheless.
If we’re purporting to be a major player on the world scene, we need to keep up.
Is Uber really going to make rides cheaper?
And certainly, the arrival of Uber on Dundee’s roads might force the existing taxi companies to adapt in order to compete.
But beyond that one benefit, I’m not convinced that Uber is an overall good thing for Dundee.
First of all, in a city whose population already struggles significantly with low wages and poverty, a gig-economy business like Uber could do more financial harm than good.
Unlike taxi services, where drivers are self-employed workers, there’s been controversy over Uber’s policy that drivers are “contractors”.
This distinction has caused issues around national minimum wage entitlement and holidays.
Plus, Uber has the luxury of offering lower prices than taxi firms, which helps the consumer short-term.
But this could lead to taxis being potentially driven out of business.
And then what’s to stop them hiking up the costs of fares again once they have a monopoly on the city?
Think Uber reduces traffic? Think again
Secondly, when Uber moves into a city, it doesn’t reduce congestion, as it purports to do.
Instead, there’s evidence to suggest ride-sharing services actually worsen already-heavy traffic, by incentivising people to hail convenient and easy Uber cars instead of walking or using public transport.
To invite Uber into Dundee seems to go against everything the city has been trying to achieve by bringing in the LEZ.
And if more people start using Uber instead of taking buses or trains, that weakens the case for improved public transport services, which Tayside desperately needs.
Local knowledge is priceless
Finally, despite my bugbears with Dundee’s taxis, there’s no denying that our local drivers have a wealth of knowledge and experience which you can’t put a price on.
They have to pass a Knowledge Test in order to get their licenses; Uber drivers do not.
They also have more extensive background checks than Uber drivers since they’re tied to the council, for those weighing up passenger safety.
And if we’re to become the “destination city” that we’re aiming towards, drivers with extensive local knowledge – the best restaurants, unmissable sights, hidden gems – are key to the tourist experience, which boosts local businesses too.
Overall, I’m urging caution to those chomping at the bit to download the Uber app.
Healthy competition is good – but sometimes, better the driver the you know.
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