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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber Driver II: How we doing?

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  • goforit, in reply to Alfie,

    That was how the problem was recified to those days, it was easy to enforce that solution because up to 1989 it was a criminal offence not pay a taxi driver and that included the fee for cleaning up.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to BenWilson,

    Or maybe a STASIesque bank of people watching a video stream, statistically narrowed down by triggers. It will employ 50 geeks for 5 years designing it. At the end it will be 90 percent as reliable as a dude sitting there and smelling some arsehole puking in his car.

    A variant of the “Russians used pencils in space” theory: in Russia, dash cams are commonplace in cars, as the number of YouTube videos go to show. But only because they’re required by law for insurance purposes.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Brent Jackson,

    Looks like the gummint is finally going to do something. Threats only at this point, but that is a lot more than what they've done to date.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Brent Jackson,

    or not. Is Simple Simon having a buck each way?

    Simon Bridges said he wouldn't be shutting the company down, but urged the Transport Agency to step up its crackdown on the drivers.
    ...

    " .. and we're also looking at some other legal options, like what can be done in relation to Uber as a company."

    Mr Bridges said Uber was clearly mocking New Zealand laws.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Sacha,

    I find it very encouraging and hope to hear more about what legal options they come up with, which I would think is the go-to approach at this point, since the crackdown hasn't even slowed Uber down.

    Mind you, they did just put up the commission on getting new drivers to $500. The highest I've ever seen it. When I started it was $300 and it went down after April to only $100. Looks like the surge of drivers signing up non-compliant has ended and now there's the backlash of people not wanting to sign up at all because of the bad press, crackdown, and driver feedback on the actual pay.

    Pull up, Uber, before it's too late!!!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Brent Jackson,

    that is a lot more than what they’ve done to date.

    Yes, indeedy. Even if it's only rhetoric, at least it's rhetoric. What a difference a few months makes, I can recall Bridges saying that he was of the opinion that whatever the market wanted was the best possible outcome.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I'll be on RadioLive 100.6 at 5pm today with Garner, Craig Foss, David Seymour, and the head of the Taxi Federation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    The start of the end of UBER has started, as I have always said the law is the law.
    I am thinking that the Government may be about to ratify the proposed ammendments to the Transport Act.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to goforit,

    Well they could always just not break the law. This is a simple possibility to preserve a million dollar p.a. income. If they can't bring themselves to do that then we are better off without them. But I hold out hope that they might just do as asked, since they were already doing it before April in Auckland and Wellington.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    As for Seymour’s comeback, it’s so ignorant as to barely be worth mentioning. He says the govt should change the rules to make ridesharing easier. FFS, they ARE doing this. He says Uber solves the congestion problem??? WTF? How? It’s a car. Students don’t hire them to commute to varsity you moron!! They hire them to go on the piss, and catch the bus to university. Maybe he’s thinking of carpooling? Well Uber doesn’t do that in NZ. He thinks it’s a conspiracy by the Taxi Lobby. Well I’m not a taxi driver, I’m an Uber driver, as is my entire association, and most of us want the government to put the hard word on Uber too.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Takes me back to the meetings our taxi group had with Uber 18 months ago. The final out come of those meetings was "if we Uber comply to the NZ Government we go against the worldwide policy of Uber, that policy is to have zero regulations worldwide to control us"
    Where else in the world when faced with no way out of accepting regulations Uber usually chooses to pull out of there operation than bend to regulations.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Ben you have overlooked a very important point, when the new proposed regs become law Uber cannot hide behind being an overseas idendity anymore but must comply, there will be no other option for them except of course to leave NZ.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to goforit,

    Well, Uber could change their policy on that. What they said to you could be a bluff. If they go through with it and leave, well, it was a gun to the government's head, and the whole country's, really. It's a threat we should simply call. But there is NOTHING forcing Uber to act like arrogant overlords, and the business model that doesn't involve them doing that is a perfectly good one. I hold out hope that they could return to it. If that happened in NZ I would hold my head up high about our country, on that score. And I know for a fact that the gap left by Uber would be filled extremely fast. It's already being filled. There are strong active competitors in this space right now.

    Also, a lot has happened in 18 months. The are facing hundreds of lawsuits around the world. They have been routed from China. They may be routed from Europe. They've even been expelled from US cities. They could crash like a ton of bricks. Or they could get with the program, engage with the law, treat with our association, and find out how you really run a business in this country, the Kiwi way. It could become a shining example to the world of reformed Uber doing the right thing. I'd like it to be. But if they won't, I'm prepared to burn their castle down.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    Another factor that the clowns behind Uber have to consider is the investers, it was fun supporting them to set up, but as with China the setup investers told the Uber clowns to sort out the loses in China or get out.
    The clowns behind Uber say they are worth billions but its investor billions not what the company had earned. Looks like the investers are getting towy, if I was an investor I would be looking for a return on my investment by now and be telling Uber to shape up.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    There is also a great risk now that when Uber applies to become an ATO under the new proposed regs it could be declined due to there history of not compliing to the NZ laws.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    A knight on a white horse has appeared to save Uber, David Seymoure states "its not Uber its the regulations". now I heard it all. LOL

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Was a little disappointed I didn't get to face off against him. It will be brutal when it happens, a little like if a bleating billy goat gruff suddenly found itself caged with a tiger.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    When ACT is your only friend you gotta realize you are in a bad way.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Seymour clip from RNZ Morning Report.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to BenWilson,

    When ACT is your only friend you gotta realize you are in a bad way.

    Yeah verily!
    Seymour on air this morning;
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201811534
    <snap! Sacha>
    :- )

    Seymour seems to think that Uber /’ride sharing’ will stop congestion on the morning commute for Aucklanders – I can see how that might go down well with shallow thinkers but I don't think it is uber’s target market.
    …and it is a bit rich him accusing someone else (Bridges) of being ‘baby-faced’ when he is still metaphorically in nappies himself…

    Death cab for cutie..

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    After listing to the white knight of Uber I have changed my mind on regulations. Hows this for an idea, lets level the playing field by removing all regulations in regard to transport and ebery other aspect of our lives for every one, thats private, taxi Uber and any other service that has regulations. We are all responsible persons these days therefore none of us need government involvement in our lives. Just think we could lead the world, no taxes, no licencing of any service, no vehicle inspections, no number plates, no requirement to be employed no Parliment, no police force, no NZTA etc.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Seymour seems to think that Uber /’ride sharing’ will stop congestion on the morning commute for Aucklanders – I can see how that might go down well with shallow thinkers but I don’t think it is uber’s target market

    It's ridiculous. He's got zero idea what is going on. Uber surges every morning rush hour, mostly because of gridlock which makes it hard for drivers to get to passengers, and the drivers just don't want to work at that time because they will be stuck in a traffic jam getting nothing more than the per-minute rate, and knowing they will get downrated by the driver for not having a magical flying vehicle.

    Students don't use it to commute. FFS, there would be no advantage in it - it would cost much more than the bus and be no faster. It might be comparable if it pooled 4 passengers, in which case it would probably be LESS convenient than a bus, because you'd be driving to all their houses and waiting for them to get their shit together. Which, from experience, would certainly happen. Waiting for people to get out of bed, and/or arbitrarily deciding they can't be arsed to go to their morning lecture.

    The reason students like it is to use it at real-Uber-Bonanza time, which is late on Friday and Saturday. For that, being able to go on the piss cheaply and safely is a boon. Uber is transforming how easy it is for kids to get drunk!! Beyond that, it's effect on the future of transport is rather minimal. It's not a new idea to catch a goddamned taxi. It's a really, really, really OLD idea, and subway systems around the world took off to deal with this shit in the 19th century.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to BenWilson,

    ... subway systems around the world took off to deal with this shit in the 19th century.

    Car pool tunnel syndrome hits auckland?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Nice.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • goforit,

    All these arguments over transport solutions have been going on for years, in the 70ies the taxi industry put to to ARA (the fore ronner of Auckland Transport) suggestions on ride share of taxis using the newly formed bus lanes, of course this was turned down. so here we are in the next centry still banging on about it. My own personal solution to the traffic conjestion is not to drive in those periods anymore and looks like Ben is thinking the same way. Around in circles we all go LOL.

    Auckland • Since May 2016 • 314 posts Report Reply

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