Introducing UberTAXI (opens in new tab)

(blog.uber.com)

84 pointsJackWebbHeller11y ago61 comments

61 comments

Good timing, because in about 1 hour from now, at 14:00 BST / 13:00 UTC (as if there were such a thing as British Summer), the London Black Cabs will stage a protest that will gridlock London. Not that anyone stuck in London traffic will be able to tell the difference.

Article from the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27783218

edit: DST is hard

corin_11y ago

Off-topic, but...

> as if there were such a thing as British Summer

Have you not looked outside lately? We're having it right now!

tomp11y ago

It's 23 C outside. Maybe warm for London, but not "summer".

Thasc11y ago

Just popped down. Complete gridlock all the way from Trafalgar Square through Parliament Square and beyond. The air is saturated by beeping taxi horns, and it's hot as hell.

Shivetya11y ago

and here come calls for a union of all taxi drivers nationwide in the US

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-s...

markba11y ago

This is the perfect time for Uber to announce the new option

popey11y ago

14:00 BST is 13:00 UTC, not 15:00 UTC.

QuadDamaged11y ago

Give me a sec I have some code I need to fix...

JackWebbHellerOP11y ago

> "We recognise the unique heritage and value of traditional black cabs when it comes to getting around. UberTAXI is another way of using technology to offer more choice, making life simpler and keeping London moving"

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

hobolobo11y ago

Or if you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em

itstriz11y ago

In Chicago some licensed cab drivers use Uber to process their payments with the Uber Taxi service. You can call a cab with the app, pay the normal fare plus 20% gratuity and a small service fee. I don't use cabs often, but it's working out way better for me than when I used to call dispatch and maybe the cab would show up and maybe it wouldn't. It's also really nice to be able to just get in and get out without wasting time dealing with payments. The drivers that I've spoken to seem to like it as well as it gets them more fares.

joelrunyon11y ago

It's also nice that they can't charge "surge" pricing on cabs, so if they're doing a 2x or 4x you can call a taxi through it for a normal-ish fare. That said, the cab option always seems to be very sparsely populated whenever there's an ongoing pricing "surge".

I haven't seen taxis done on uber anywhere other than Chicago though.

1 more reply

alexanderri11y ago

Uber started with boat services in Stockholm today. I thought that was bigger news :)

You might want to translate this somehow but here: http://blog.uber.com/UberBAT

ptr11y ago

I wonder if this is part of some larger campaign -- maybe there are more Uber* stuff going on in other cities? UberRICKSHAW!

ceejayoz11y ago

They've got a long history of quirky short-term things like having a food truck come and give you a burrito. http://blog.uber.com/uBURRITO

Irishsteve11y ago

Taxis in a lot of big euro cities are on strike at the moment because of what they deem unlicensed taxi services. Uber is being mentioned specifically. So while it's good for uber that they are announcing new services id much rather they sort my problem of spending a few extra hours getting to airport and a few more extra hours getting out of the airport today

Irishsteve11y ago

And in the end, driven by uber's surge pricing, their drivers broke the picket line while stranded travelers (I included) welcomed them with open arms

izolate11y ago

As a non Uber customer, why would I use this over Hailo? And why would Uber customers opt for a more expensive taxi when the same application has a cheaper option?

When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo.

viraptor11y ago

My guess is it's more about politics than actual service. Basically saying "hey, taxis are so much different we can even offer them as a completely separate service. UberX / Uber are not taxis." This may come useful if/when TfL changes their mind, or some court forces this discussion.

jrochkind111y ago

To me, it sends the opposite message actually that Uber pretty much is the same as a taxi; they can incorporate taxis into uber in a way that works pretty much the same for the end-user (but with regulated rates).

With legal threats to their attempts to make an end-run around taxi regulation, it makes sense they are trying to diversify and have an income stream via regulated taxis as well.

driverdan11y ago

> ...from a company with less questionable ethics

Ok, I'll bite. What is questionable about Uber's ethics?

potatolicious11y ago

On top of what others have mentioned, Uber has also been caught sabotaging competing car services by ordering their cars and canceling them as a physical denial of service attack against the other company.

They didn't even apologize for that one, only stating that the marketing team was "overzealous". As far as anyone is aware nobody was reprimanded in any way over this debacle, which is par for the course as far as Uber goes.

Uber the product is great, Uber the company is shady as all get out. This is why I don't trust them to shape regulation any more than I trust the existing taxi lobby. They're all purely self-serving and anti-consumer when they think they can get away with it.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/24/technology/social/uber-gett/

Borogravia11y ago

Oh, you know, just a few things:

http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-used-the-boston-bombing-ann...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/28/uber-s-bigg...

http://pando.com/2012/10/24/travis-shrugged/

http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Ride-Service-May-Po...

http://pando.com/2014/04/24/uberx-allegedly-hired-a-convicte...

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Uber-sued-over-girl-s-...

gnopgnip11y ago

They are shifting all of the liability to the people who can least afford it. So far they have done everything in their power to not protect drivers like in the case last month. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Uber-denies-fault-in-S... An uber driver killed a girl, but Uber is claiming they are not liable because he did not have an active fare at the time. It is unlikely this driver can ever make the family whole.

Additionally many car sharing services are operating without regard to the law. In some states the cars are getting seized. So far Uber has been covering the legal case, but they have no obligation to continue to do so.

1 more reply

gorner11y ago

Things like its "Safe Rides Fee": http://valleywag.gawker.com/why-is-uber-charging-you-extra-t...

And questionable promotions: http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-used-the-boston-bombing-ann...

And [allegedly] intentionally triggering surge pricing: http://www.thewire.com/technology/2014/02/uber-busted-intent...

And otherwise just acting as if the rules just don't apply to them: http://www.straight.com/news/uber-town-car-service-shut-down...

1 more reply

adamio11y ago

insurance situation is still quite ambiguous; also no phone number - even for emergencies. Get into a worst case scenario accident, and a passenger dies in your Uber? Sorry no phone number, send an email with details and pics.

ChrisArchitect11y ago

I didn't know Halio was London based I swear by Uber in Toronto and will use it in London when I'm there next. A long time ago (year and half?) I looked up what the difference between the two was and it wasn't much. Comparing apples to apples, namely, plain old taxi service, they aren't much different but Uber is straight no minimums, gratuity set to a standard rate. I decided not try Halio at the time and stick with the Uber I'd been supporting (arbitrary I know) and enjoy not having to worry about any settings or anything. Hail cab, hop in, hop out, done.

On the business side I think Halio is an actual cab dispatcher company, whereas Uber is just an app service that any cabbie can use..... Anyways, yeah, have nothing but good things to say about Uber and kind of laugh at the mess going on in London right now

kitbrennan11y ago

One of the main benefits over Hailo is that it doesn't appear to have Hailo's minimum pricing: https://hailocab.com/drivers/blog/2013/02/04/minimum-fares-s...

I imagine it will also have different drivers, so it may be worthwhile having both apps. I often find myself with a 10 minute wait for Uber when a Hailo taxi is 2 minutes away, and vice-versa.

easytiger11y ago

> When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo.

What!? Hailo now does private cab hire firm booking, which led to lots of Black cab drivers removing support for it

wlj11y ago

He may be referring to this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7115177

vdaniuk11y ago

So why is it bad for Hailo to do private cab hire booking?

1 more reply

eli11y ago

They've been doing this in DC for several years. It seems to work, more or less. I think there are more cabs on Hailo if that's what you want. Some cab drivers are extremely anti-Uber.

mayneack11y ago

I haven't tried Hailo, but in Boston the uber cabs have never felt scarce to me.

theklub11y ago

I find the rise of Uber fanboys very interesting. Is it real or are they bots?

wyager11y ago

I'm real. Uber is 100x better than normal taxi services. The cars don't suck or smell bad, the drivers aren't assholes, and the fares are reasonable. That is completely orthogonal to my experiences in any taxi.

ollerac11y ago

I love Uber and I'm real. It's a great service, really efficient, and not that expensive. I rely on it multiple times a week.

themagician11y ago

I'm real. Uber isn't just a convenience for many. I rely on it to get around. Sometimes I might use it four or five times a day. Sometimes I don't use it at all. But I no longer have a car, nor do I want one, because of Uber. And I'm not alone. For many Uber has become a necessary utility.

tlrobinson11y ago

Real. Been using it since 2010. Unapologetic fanboy.

jankeromnes11y ago

I don't really know what to make of:

> There will be no booking fees or additional charges to clients

versus

> We’ll charge a flat commission of just 5%

Looks fishy.

BrianEatWorld11y ago

If this service matches the quality of other Uber services, I could see it helping them get into holdout cities.

TBH, my least favorite part about scheduling cabs is dealing with the dispatchers. I've had them frequently hang up on me just because I am scheduling a pick-up for somewhere on Sixth Street in Austin, despite my not being intoxicated in the least. Not to mention, the times when my reservation seems to just get lost or left with a massive window for wait times. If it can give better service and feedback than the current Hail a Cab app thats pretty big in Austin, the extra commission would be completely worth it. Hopefully, it expands beyond London.

timparker11y ago

Pay twice as much to be in a black cab? Defeating whole reason of using Uber.. luckily we have choices, thanks UberX.

JackWebbHellerOP11y ago

Actually it follows the same fare rate as the taxis themselves, plus 5% extra to Uber for the convenience of the service.

Fare info: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?ci...

jrochkind111y ago

According to the announcement in OP, the 5% commission is paid by the driver, the rider still pays the exact same regulated fare right. At least that's how I read it, I think that's what "commission" usually means.

pisarzp11y ago

which is much more expensive than UberX. Black cabs in London are just ripoff. I love Uber and I hope it will continue to disrupt it with UberX and low prices, not support Black Cabs.

1 more reply

rblstr11y ago

My only reason for using Uber in this city is that it beats the hell out of black taxi rates, will definitely not be using this service.

Seems like they're just trying to mitigate the protests happening today.

dsplatonov11y ago

not clear if existing taxi drives can subscribe to uber and take clients from it

conatus11y ago

If you try and sign up: UberTAXI You Are...Currently a taxi driver certified and licensed by the city. Your Vehicle Is...A commercial taxi vehicle.

So, yes. Existing taxi drivers can.

ramongarcia11y ago

European techies should favor Hailo over Uber if they ever have hopes of a real startup ecosystem ever blooming in this side of the world. The startup scene can't afford to see it fail.

Tarang11y ago

This must be a response to the protests today. I guess adding this is a way of saying Uber is not exactly like a Black Taxi and distinguish the two as different

lugg11y ago

So is uber a taxi company or not? This can't help their stance in other countries where they are fighting off regulation?

jarin11y ago

I was just in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, and Uber uses the local Yellow Cab there instead of black car or local drivers.

ChrisArchitect11y ago

seems crazy that they are announcing this today with the protest happening but whatever.... I am happy to see the taxi hailing feature coming as it is my most used feature in Toronto ( I mean, you only needthe fancy cars for fancy events/group things)

veidr11y ago

So... it's like a taxi?

kjjw11y ago

Getting a taxi in London is not a broken concept. It is easy to flag down a taxi and there are a lot of them all over the place. They have a great charging structure, charging for distance, not time. They are safe and the taxi drivers are reliable and certified to be knowledgeable on the geography of London.

1 more reply

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61 comments

QuadDamaged11y ago

Article from the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27783218

edit: DST is hard

corin_11y ago

Off-topic, but...

> as if there were such a thing as British Summer

Have you not looked outside lately? We're having it right now!

tomp11y ago

It's 23 C outside. Maybe warm for London, but not "summer".

Thasc11y ago

Just popped down. Complete gridlock all the way from Trafalgar Square through Parliament Square and beyond. The air is saturated by beeping taxi horns, and it's hot as hell.

Shivetya11y ago

and here come calls for a union of all taxi drivers nationwide in the US

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-s...

markba11y ago

This is the perfect time for Uber to announce the new option

popey11y ago

14:00 BST is 13:00 UTC, not 15:00 UTC.

QuadDamaged11y ago

Give me a sec I have some code I need to fix...

JackWebbHellerOP11y ago

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

hobolobo11y ago

Or if you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em

itstriz11y ago

joelrunyon11y ago

I haven't seen taxis done on uber anywhere other than Chicago though.

1 more reply

alexanderri11y ago

Uber started with boat services in Stockholm today. I thought that was bigger news :)

You might want to translate this somehow but here: http://blog.uber.com/UberBAT

ptr11y ago

I wonder if this is part of some larger campaign -- maybe there are more Uber* stuff going on in other cities? UberRICKSHAW!

ceejayoz11y ago

They've got a long history of quirky short-term things like having a food truck come and give you a burrito. http://blog.uber.com/uBURRITO

Irishsteve11y ago

And in the end, driven by uber's surge pricing, their drivers broke the picket line while stranded travelers (I included) welcomed them with open arms

izolate11y ago

As a non Uber customer, why would I use this over Hailo? And why would Uber customers opt for a more expensive taxi when the same application has a cheaper option?

When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo.

viraptor11y ago

jrochkind111y ago

With legal threats to their attempts to make an end-run around taxi regulation, it makes sense they are trying to diversify and have an income stream via regulated taxis as well.

driverdan11y ago

> ...from a company with less questionable ethics

Ok, I'll bite. What is questionable about Uber's ethics?

potatolicious11y ago

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/24/technology/social/uber-gett/

Borogravia11y ago

Oh, you know, just a few things:

http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-used-the-boston-bombing-ann...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/28/uber-s-bigg...

http://pando.com/2012/10/24/travis-shrugged/

http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Ride-Service-May-Po...

http://pando.com/2014/04/24/uberx-allegedly-hired-a-convicte...

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Uber-sued-over-girl-s-...

gnopgnip11y ago

1 more reply

gorner11y ago

Things like its "Safe Rides Fee": http://valleywag.gawker.com/why-is-uber-charging-you-extra-t...

And questionable promotions: http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-used-the-boston-bombing-ann...

And [allegedly] intentionally triggering surge pricing: http://www.thewire.com/technology/2014/02/uber-busted-intent...

And otherwise just acting as if the rules just don't apply to them: http://www.straight.com/news/uber-town-car-service-shut-down...

1 more reply

adamio11y ago

ChrisArchitect11y ago

kitbrennan11y ago

One of the main benefits over Hailo is that it doesn't appear to have Hailo's minimum pricing: https://hailocab.com/drivers/blog/2013/02/04/minimum-fares-s...

I imagine it will also have different drivers, so it may be worthwhile having both apps. I often find myself with a 10 minute wait for Uber when a Hailo taxi is 2 minutes away, and vice-versa.

easytiger11y ago

> When I use black cabs here in London, I'd much rather use an established and local product from a company with less questionable ethics. That's Hailo.

What!? Hailo now does private cab hire firm booking, which led to lots of Black cab drivers removing support for it

wlj11y ago

He may be referring to this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7115177

vdaniuk11y ago

So why is it bad for Hailo to do private cab hire booking?

1 more reply

eli11y ago

They've been doing this in DC for several years. It seems to work, more or less. I think there are more cabs on Hailo if that's what you want. Some cab drivers are extremely anti-Uber.

mayneack11y ago

I haven't tried Hailo, but in Boston the uber cabs have never felt scarce to me.

theklub11y ago

I find the rise of Uber fanboys very interesting. Is it real or are they bots?

wyager11y ago

ollerac11y ago

I love Uber and I'm real. It's a great service, really efficient, and not that expensive. I rely on it multiple times a week.

themagician11y ago

tlrobinson11y ago

Real. Been using it since 2010. Unapologetic fanboy.

jankeromnes11y ago

I don't really know what to make of:

> There will be no booking fees or additional charges to clients

versus

> We’ll charge a flat commission of just 5%

Looks fishy.

BrianEatWorld11y ago

If this service matches the quality of other Uber services, I could see it helping them get into holdout cities.

timparker11y ago

Pay twice as much to be in a black cab? Defeating whole reason of using Uber.. luckily we have choices, thanks UberX.

JackWebbHellerOP11y ago

Actually it follows the same fare rate as the taxis themselves, plus 5% extra to Uber for the convenience of the service.

Fare info: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares?ci...

jrochkind111y ago

pisarzp11y ago

which is much more expensive than UberX. Black cabs in London are just ripoff. I love Uber and I hope it will continue to disrupt it with UberX and low prices, not support Black Cabs.

1 more reply

rblstr11y ago

My only reason for using Uber in this city is that it beats the hell out of black taxi rates, will definitely not be using this service.

Seems like they're just trying to mitigate the protests happening today.

dsplatonov11y ago

not clear if existing taxi drives can subscribe to uber and take clients from it

conatus11y ago

If you try and sign up: UberTAXI You Are...Currently a taxi driver certified and licensed by the city. Your Vehicle Is...A commercial taxi vehicle.

So, yes. Existing taxi drivers can.

ramongarcia11y ago

European techies should favor Hailo over Uber if they ever have hopes of a real startup ecosystem ever blooming in this side of the world. The startup scene can't afford to see it fail.

Tarang11y ago

This must be a response to the protests today. I guess adding this is a way of saying Uber is not exactly like a Black Taxi and distinguish the two as different

lugg11y ago

So is uber a taxi company or not? This can't help their stance in other countries where they are fighting off regulation?

jarin11y ago

I was just in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, and Uber uses the local Yellow Cab there instead of black car or local drivers.

ChrisArchitect11y ago

veidr11y ago

So... it's like a taxi?

kjjw11y ago

1 more reply

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