Taxis & Ridesharing - articles, discussion ...

[ozbob]

9 News --> Qld premier may act against Uber

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Uber slams Palaszczuk Government for siding with taxis

[bcasey]

http://qz.com/403628/autonomous-cars-will-destroy-millions-of-jobs-and-reshape-the-economy-by-2025/

If the taxi companies were smart and forward-thinking, they would be better off trying to emulate the car-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft (while offering the extra "safety" of having taxi drivers that are licensed), otherwise they will go the way of the dodo in a decade or two.

[bcasey]

He also talks about autonomous vehicles as a disruptive technology, along with electric vehicles and solar power.

[techblitz]

http://qz.com/403628/autonomous-cars-will-destroy-millions-of-jobs-and-reshape-the-economy-by-2025/

If the taxi companies were smart and forward-thinking, they would be better off trying to emulate the car-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft (while offering the extra "safety" of having taxi drivers that are licensed), otherwise they will go the way of the dodo in a decade or two.

give it time..they will clue-on...they already have the fleets......for the cost of 1 licence a cloned uber app can be developed.....then ubers 40 billion valuation goes down overnight....what happens then?....they claw money back by upping fares and reducing payouts to drivers.....40billion my butt.....

im going to give "disruptive" app examples whereby the app developer acts as agent and takes easy commisions...and how they "should" legally be allowed to flout regualtions as long as uber exists...

app: p2p child pickups after school  regulations: blue card,proper insurance

app: p2p food prep/delivery  regulations: food licence,proper insurance,commercial kitchen

app: p2p daycare........regulations: blue card,first aid,proper insurance

app: p2p alcohol delivery/mobile bottleshop....regulations: take a guess....

lets all just startup disruptive apps shall we? screw regulations and safety....

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Uber fights for survival in Queensland

[James]

give it time..they will clue-on...they already have the fleets......for the cost of 1 licence a cloned uber app can be developed.....then ubers 40 billion valuation goes down overnight....what happens then?....they claw money back by upping fares and reducing payouts to drivers.....40billion my butt.....

im going to give "disruptive" app examples whereby the app developer acts as agent and takes easy commisions...and how they "should" legally be allowed to flout regualtions as long as uber exists...

app: p2p child pickups after school  regulations: blue card,proper insurance

app: p2p food prep/delivery  regulations: food licence,proper insurance,commercial kitchen

app: p2p daycare........regulations: blue card,first aid,proper insurance

app: p2p alcohol delivery/mobile bottleshop....regulations: take a guess....

lets all just startup disruptive apps shall we? screw regulations and safety....

P2P School pick-ups and P2P daycare... wtf are you on techblitz? P2P Food prep already exists and the shy hasn't fallen in.  All of your arguments are strawmen saying 'Oh if one flouts the rules, why don't we have all of them?'. The point is, the taxi industry is operating in an economically inefficient manner through high fares, an outdated business model (no GPS tracking available to user, 10% credit card surcharge etc.) and incredibly high barriers to entry.

If the taxi council want to fend off Uber, they need to start by improving customer service, updating their services to provide a higher quality product and abolish that god damn credit card charge. I avoid shopping at places which have credit/debit card minimums, to the point I've walked out of stores where they've had a $5 minimum and I'm purchasing less than $5 worth of goods. Taxi industry included. It is 2015, not 2005, we are becoming a cashless society.

This is just one great example of how outdated the taxi industry is and how it expects it can just sit around and not bother innovating or attempting to compete. If Palaszczuk follows through with this total ban, it is just another great example of how Queensland is turning into a backwards hick state.

[techblitz]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/a-tech-boom-aimed-at-the-few-instead-of-the-world-20150522-gh75z0

Uber for children
You can make a similar case for Shuddle, which was created by Nick Allen, a founder of the ride-sharing service Sidecar, who said he was trying to solve a problem of modern parenting - the parents are working, the children need to be ferried among home and school and their activities, and all the ways to do so require lots of time and money. Though I did not use Shuddle for my own children - the service is available only to children who have grown out of car seats, so mine are too young - I spoke to several parents who described it in rhapsodic terms.

"It's amazing to have someone else drive your kids while you're making dinner, so everyone's eating dinner at a logical hour," said Rana DiOrio, a Bay Area mother of three who has been using Shuddle a few times a week for several months. DiOrio, the chief executive of a children's book publishing company, said she found the service cheaper than alternatives like hiring a baby sitter for an hour to drive a car, but she acknowledged that she was relatively well off and that it was not at a price that could serve everyone.

Today, most parents pay $US12 to $US15 a ride - more than for on-demand services like Uber, and much more than public transportation, which of course isn't available everywhere.

P2P School pick-ups and P2P daycare... wtf are you on techblitz?

nice try 

[SurfRail]

Legalise it, mandate proper insurance, and bugger the taxi cartels.  The bubble has to burst for the good of everybody else, and if that means people spent $400,000 on a bailment and lose their money then so what?  People lose money on investments all the time.

[achiruel]

Just had an Uber ad appear on my Facebook feed promoting jobs in Brisbane earning $20/$30 per hour in fares.

Really not fantastic when you have to deduct your vehicle running/depreciation from that figure.

You'd probably make more money stocking the shelves at ColWorths.

[ozbob]

For interest ... not dissimilar to insurance issues with Uber et al ..

Domain --> Holiday homewreckers expose hole in home insurance

People who offer their homes for short-term and holiday letting have been warned they could have no insurance cover if their properties are trashed by paying guests.

The issue came to the fore last month when a Canadian couple returned to their house to discover it had been wrecked in what appeared to be a drug-induced frenzy by visitors who had booked the property via Airbnb.

And while the hugely popular online peer-to-peer letting agency has a $1 million Host Guarantee fund, owners and tenants sub-letting privately or through other agencies could discover that renting out your home for short-term lets could invalidate your home and contents insurance.

Even Airbnb hosts aren't covered for damage to common property – such as lifts, swimming pools and hallways – caused by holiday let guests.

Australian insurance firm Whitbread warns that any short-term letting has at least three different potential triggers for non-payment of insurance cover.

Whitbread's general manager for strata, Lia de Sousa,  says simply not telling your insurer that you are letting your house or apartment could invalidate any claim if something goes wrong.

"When entering into an insurance contract, you are required to notify the insurer if there is any change to your circumstances," she says. "A contents policy will generally not cover your possessions when your property is being used for short-term letting.

"Failure to notify your insurer of a change in living conditions could be considered a breach of the contract and, as such, your policy can be voided, leaving you exposed."

Theft, rather than damage, may also fall foul of the small print in most insurance policies: "For theft of contents to be covered, many policies require clear evidence of break and enter," Ms de Sousa says, adding that, obviously, there would be no such evidence if you'd given keys to your short-term tenant.

And finally there is the fact that you are making money from the let, another aspect that may not be covered by your insurance.

"The intention of a domestic contents insurance policy is not to cover business activities in your home." ....

[red dragin]

Good chance Landlords Insurance would cover them if they have it. Most policies now mention clean up from a Meth Lab on their brochures  (sign of the times  )

Banks might want to know about the letting out too though.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance says fines continue for UberX drivers, flags overhaul of taxi regulation

[dancingmongoose]

Sofia Woods ‏@ShortieDesigns  49m49 minutes ago
Check out this seriously unfounded propaganda against @Uber and #rideshare services #shame #brisbane #taxi @taxiQLD

[techblitz]

another startup.....theres an app in development which has the potential to "disrupt" the airport parking business....
An app whereby you put your car in for parking at the app owners depot....get bus transferred to the airport...... meanwhile your car gets rented out to temporary visitors to your city......deducting a sizable chunk off your parking bill.....

[bcasey]

another startup.....theres an app in development which has the potential to "disrupt" the airport parking business....
An app whereby you put your car in for parking at the app owners depot....get bus transferred to the airport...... meanwhile your car gets rented out to temporary visitors to your city......deducting a sizable chunk off your parking bill.....

Interesting idea, but I doubt insurance companies would cover any damage to the car if it was involved in an accident while the visitor is driving it.

[techblitz]

^ easy opportunities for insurance startups.....one startup insurance company could potentially cover the lot(all disruptives).....INSURANCE is the key word when dealing with these startups.....i still would not trust UBERS insurance coverage....

http://www.carnextdoor.com.au/

the market dominance of avis,hertz,budget will soon be out the door...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Uber cuts fares by 10 per cent in renewed push against taxis

[SurfRail]

^ easy opportunities for insurance startups.....one startup insurance company could potentially cover the lot(all disruptives).....INSURANCE is the key word when dealing with these startups.....i still would not trust UBERS insurance coverage....

http://www.carnextdoor.com.au/

the market dominance of avis,hertz,budget will soon be out the door...

No such thing as an insurance start-up.  To offer insurance you need to be licensed by APRA.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Uber contests California ruling that says driver should be employee

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Uber fined $1.7 million by Queensland

[techblitz]

^ easiest money the state has ever made...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Uber tracking customers, viewing address books under new agreement

[ozbob]

Transport for NSW --> Taskforce to examine point to point transport

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance today announced an independent taskforce to examine the future sustainability of taxis, hire cars and other emerging point to point transport providers in NSW including ridesharing apps.

The new taskforce will be headed by Professor Gary Sturgess AM, who will be assisted by Tom Parry AM, and will report back to the NSW Government by the end of October with recommendations on a range of complex issues facing the industry.

The taskforce will work with customers, the taxi industry, hire car companies and other stakeholders to look at sustainability and competition in the market, the impact of emerging technologies, the importance of customer safety and the burden of current taxi regulations.

"The taxi and point to point transport industry is changing rapidly and so are our customers' expectations," Mr Constance said.

"We know cities around the world are grappling with these changes and in particular, the introduction of new unregulated ridesharing apps. I have made it a priority to get to the bottom of these issues, no matter how complex.

"We also want to examine the sustainability of the industry in regional NSW where operators are under increasing pressure from hire cars as well as from courtesy transport and community transport.

"If we want to see a strong future for the taxi industry and make services more attractive to customers, the next step is to look closely at current regulations to ensure there's a more even playing field."

The NSW Government has asked the taskforce to consider the possible impact of any changes to regulation on existing investors and if necessary, make recommendations on a possible adjustment package. This would include an anti-gaming clause effective from today, to prevent any manipulation of the current licensing system.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's (IPART) normal annual review of fares and licences will be deferred until after the taskforce has reported back to Government and a response has been formed.

The taskforce will also look at the transport services available for people with disabilities and other groups who rely on community transport and taxis to go about their daily lives.

The community is urged to have its say when submissions are called for in the coming weeks. People can register their interest in making a submission by emailing pointtopoint@transport.nsw.gov.au.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Uber urges state government to legalise drivers

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Stoush between Uber and ATO on GST heats up

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Taxi Council calls Uber potential 'sexual haven for predators'

[BrizCommuter]

...as no "real" taxi drivers have ever assaulted passengers have they?

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Uber needs national response, says Qld premier

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Premier's call to protect cabbies from Uber

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Uber price rise kicks in from today

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Gold Coast Cabs to launch new app against Uber and win back passengers

[#Metro]

Looks like NRMA is the first to offer Uber Insurance

Cidade says what is missing in the taxi industry's argument is the customer.

"This is a campaign of self interest by a taxi industry that has not stayed abreast of changing customer preferences and the adoption of sharing-economy services like Uber.

"The sharing economy is here to stay. We believe as an insurer that we should protect our customers as these changes occur", she says.
"Our first priority is to protect our customers when they need us, so we have made the decision to cover them if they choose to use their car this way."

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/money/taxi-drivers-refer-insurer-to-watchdog-over-uber-claims-20150817-gj0ump.html

[#Metro]

NRMA is one of the very few insurers who will cover ride-sharing where it operates - in NSW, ACT and Queensland. 
Mariana Cidade, a spokeswoman for NRMA, says the company will not cover drivers who are conducting ride-sharing "full-time".
But "occasional" users who tell NRMA will have the same coverage as they would normally have, though they would have to pay a higher premium.

Cidade says ride-sharing is here to stay and "we want to give our customers what they want".

Ride sharing is covered under NRMA's compulsory third party and comprehensive policies.
In Victoria, the RACV also extends its comprehensive coverage to those who use their car for "occasional" ride-sharing.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/money/planning/check-insurance-fine-print-before-ridesharing-20150813-giy3be.html

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> New Uber competitor wants to continue taxi industry shake-up

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Uber spurs overhaul of taxi industry that could see licence plate owners compensated

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Taxi fury over Uber not just a Melbourne thing

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Taxi strike: Cabbies across Australia to strike over Uber

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Qld taxi drivers rally against Uber

[bcasey]

I'm not really sure these strikes will do anything but help UberX.

When people are looking for a taxi to get home, and there are none available, they will turn to other options, like UberX, and in the process, discover that it's cheaper and more convenient, and may well not bother using taxis anymore.

If the taxi drivers end up blockading somewhere, like the airport (which I'm not sure is actually legal), they will just annoy the hell out of people who need to get there, thus driving more people away from using taxis in the future.

Granted, depending on how long the strike is, it may not affect that many people, but I wouldn't underestimate the power of word-of-mouth, particularly if it is negative.

Unlike other strikes, like port workers, bus drivers, nurses, teachers, etc, who strike in order to force the hand of the corporation they work for, or the government, Taxi drivers provide a service that depends highly on their customers and their view of them. If they tarnish that view, they might lose a lot of potential customers in the future.