Wolverhampton Ubers (1 Viewer)

napolimp · May 25, 2023

Bit off topic, but this has been bugging me for a while now.

For the last couple of years I've been noticing a lot of Ubers with taxi plates registered in Wolverhampton, mainly because they appear to be the worst drivers on the roads.

At first I thought there was the odd Wolverhampton Uber driving down here to do business, but over the last 6 months or so I've started seeing them parked in people's driveways, and in front of houses, all over the city. Then a couple of months ago I started seeing them driving around further afield, Nottingham, Derby, Oxford, etc.

What is going on? Is Wolverhampton Council giving out taxi licenses to anyone and everyone? It seems mad, and something that needs to be addressed.

Deleted member 5849 · May 25, 2023

Coventry City Council wouldn't license uber, so they all got licensed in Wolverhampton instead. Makes a mockery of a licensing system mind you.

no_loyalty · May 25, 2023

I have also seen a lot of them recently, are they being used for school runs? I know when my dad worked escorting kids to school, his regular run was to Redditch in a Coventry black cab.

Otis · May 25, 2023

no_loyalty said:
I have also seen a lot of them recently, are they being used for school runs? I know when my dad worked escorting kids to school, his regular run was to Redditch in a Coventry black cab.

Yeah, quite a few do the school runs and like NW says, they can't get a licence here, so just get a Wolverhampton licence and then operate here.

PurpleBin · May 25, 2023

Apparently it's the easiest, quickest place to get a license. Get loads up in the North West as well.

fernandopartridge · May 26, 2023

PurpleBin said:
Apparently it's the easiest, quickest place to get a license. Get loads up in the North West as well.

A lot of the ones up here are licensed by Sefton Council it seems

ajsccfc · May 26, 2023

One positive about Uber is that the vetting process for drivers is clearly strict, I assume it's company policy that you must forget both the highway code and how to drive.

napolimp · May 26, 2023

ajsccfc said:
One positive about Uber is that the vetting process for drivers is clearly strict, I assume it's company policy that you must forget both the highway code and how to drive.

You must be completely unpredictable at all times. It keeps other road users alert and on edge, an extra service Uber provides for free.

OffenhamSkyBlue · May 26, 2023

It does seem to be not just a UK problem. We used some Ubers in Washington DC recently, and in general they didn't have a clue how to drive in city traffic - or even how to follow Google Maps!

Mr Panda · May 26, 2023

I never understood why our Council would want to miss out on what I assume is a form of income? Might as well license them here if we've got them in the hundreds anyway, right?

fernandopartridge · May 26, 2023

Mr Panda said:
I never understood why our Council would want to miss out on what I assume is a form of income? Might as well license them here if we've got them in the hundreds anyway, right?

Not when you have a disproportionately large number of licensed hackney carriages like Coventry does

Deleted member 5849 · May 26, 2023

Mr Panda said:
I never understood why our Council would want to miss out on what I assume is a form of income? Might as well license them here if we've got them in the hundreds anyway, right?

Because Uber are an ethically bankrupt company with shocking untrained drivers who cause chao wherever they go?

It's the licensing system that's an arse, really. No point having it local if it has no effect whatsoever.

shmmeee · May 26, 2023

Wolverhampton Ubers sounds like a shit second tier basketball team.

shmmeee · May 26, 2023

fernandopartridge said:
Not when you have a disproportionately large number of licensed hackney carriages like Coventry does

Coventry business as well so incentive to prop it up. Clearly doesn’t work though. Can’t remember the last time I was in a black cab.

fernandopartridge · May 26, 2023

shmmeee said:
Coventry business as well so incentive to prop it up. Clearly doesn’t work though. Can’t remember the last time I was in a black cab.

I've resisted Uber for as long as I could but the black cab prices are just extortionate (and in fairness to the cabbies it's not as if they get much of it anyway) so I've not used one on my last couple of visits to Cov.

Mr Panda · May 26, 2023

Deleted member 5849 said:
Because Uber are an ethically bankrupt company with shocking untrained drivers who cause chao wherever they go?

It's the licensing system that's an arse, really. No point having it local if it has no effect whatsoever.

I'm just thinking that Coventry based Ubers are travelling and giving their money to Wolverhampton/Solihull to get their license, why not have it here?

I agree with the ethically bankrupt statement, but lets face it, they're here to stay and they now control the market.

Macca1987 · May 26, 2023

I get Ubers at least once a week from Coventry back to Nuneaton, get chatting to quite a few drivers that live in Cov, but have had to go and get their licence in Wolverhampton

Nick · May 26, 2023

Mr Panda said:
I never understood why our Council would want to miss out on what I assume is a form of income? Might as well license them here if we've got them in the hundreds anyway, right?

Any of them got investments in black cabs?

napolimp · May 26, 2023

Nick said:
Any of them got investments in black cabs?

I know it's easy to get cynical when it comes to the council, but I actually think they've taken the right approach when it comes to Uber. They are an awful company, with a terrible safety record and working standards, and they have bullied their way into various markets. No problem with the council taking a stand and saying no, but it does appear to have been pointless due to the ban being unenforceable. I wouldn't even say the Council have stifled competition in favour of black cabs, as they have allowed Bolt to operate in the city.

napolimp · May 26, 2023

Interesting piece on Uber from last year - Uber broke laws, duped police and secretly lobbied governments, leak reveals

Nuskyblue · May 26, 2023

napolimp said:
I know it's easy to get cynical when it comes to the council, but I actually think they've taken the right approach when it comes to Uber. They are an awful company, with a terrible safety record and working standards, and they have bullied their way into various markets. No problem with the council taking a stand and saying no, but it does appear to have been pointless due to the ban being unenforceable. I wouldn't even say the Council have stifled competition in favour of black cabs, as they have allowed Bolt to operate in the city.

Aren’t they funded by the PIF and run at a loss to crush competition or something. I’m sure I read that somewhere…

fuxin convenient tho

shmmeee · May 26, 2023

Nuskyblue said:
Aren’t they funded by the PIF and run at a loss to crush competition or something. I’m sure I read that somewhere…

fuxin convenient tho

Yeah pretty much. Their argument is self driving tech is around the corner but in reality they just fuck everyone over. As you say really handy so like Amazon I just moan about them online while using their products.

Nuskyblue · May 26, 2023

shmmeee said:
Yeah pretty much. Their argument is self driving tech is around the corner but in reality they just fuck everyone over. As you say really handy so like Amazon I just moan about them online while using their products.

I hardly use Amazon anymore because Bezos gives me the creeps. I diverted any savings on shite that I don’t need into cigarettes and alcohol.

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