Taxi firms... are you local?

harpistic

@miss annie Aye, I've been using Gett for the last few months (they had a tasty "£5 off each of your first 10 rides" offer), and they are a world above Uber in terms of professionalism and reliability.

@minim I've used UberXL in Leeds a few times, and they've been standard estate cars each time.

miss annie

Not sure, a cabbie recommended Gett to me so I guess they are happy with their part of the deal. Another reason I love black taxis is that will let me take my bike in them when I am too tired to cycle home late at night.

Ali

Watch out for traffic jam demo on this today Blackfriars to Trafalgar Square. It is organised by the United Private Hire Drivers and the Independent Workers of Great Britain Union! Who ever they are

HolbornFox

They have a lovely office, whoever they are.

https://iwgb.org.uk/2016/08/23/new-office-move-completed/

Papa

I got a black cab rather than an Uber back from St Pancras in the early hours of last Saturday morning.

I got in the cab, told the guy where I was going and settled back into my seat to rest my eyes, I was half awake and roused myself as I got to our road.

Pretty sure the guy had been taking advantage of me snoozing and done a nice circuitous trip as the fare was sky-high.

It was £26 when it would normally be £15.

That's an old cabbie trick - and while I support them over Uber - that's not something I've ever had an Uber driver do to me.

harpistic

Reminds me of this story from last year: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/29/uber-driver-charges-drunk-passenger-102-for-15-journey/

Ali

I had the same comming back from Victoria. Black cab took a route via loads on tragic lights and did not take the direct route.

Autonomous vehicles that are not that far away will hit black cabs and busses massively

grenners

Black cab from st Pancras cost me almost £30. Uber cost just under £15.

miss annie

I got a black cab home from work at Piccadilly the other night. £22.

grenners

The difference must be traffic. Was a disaster. Sat outside st Pancras in a queue. Queues in Camden also.

Papa

My cab was at 2am - there was no traffic.

Even with higher fares at that time, there's no way it should have cost that much. My own fault, as I was dozing in the back I did think this is taking a long time. I should have opened my eyes and asked the cabbie what he was up to.

miss annie

How much do Uber drivers get paid, do they pay tax?

TescoPigeon

Uber drivers most certainly do pay tax, and typically earn 75% of the fare which is fully tracked and recorded via uber's system. By contrast, when asking for a fare receipt from a black cab driver, it is common practice for them to offer of a couple of unsigned receipts or to put any figure down. Cabbies keep no duplicate record of the transaction. This deprives HMRC of what is due and is a well-known and long standing practice. Cabbies have also resisted the introduction of card machines for a similar reason: it leaves a trail and the taxman will find out

miss annie

You can pay contactless in any black taxi.

Ali

I think Mr Pigeons point is that it is 100 Per cent with Uber which I doubt is happening with Black Cab although I wonder what the way around the Ubers system is is cash at the end of the journey?

Papa

Uber drivers probably pay more UK tax than Uber does

miss annie

HMRC does have access to the taxi meters to check returns.