UBER UPDATE
PORTSMOUTH UBER DRIVERS WARN THEY’LL SWITCH OFF THE APP IF PAY DOESN’T IMPROVE
“We are bleeding money” – Uber drivers in Portsmouth have warned they will be forced to ‘switch off the app’ if not supported by their global bosses through the cost of living crisis. According to The News, a group of about 30 drivers mustered outside the company’s Portsmouth offices in Lake- side Northarbour to pass on a stern message. They have made demands to Uber that either the rate being paid must be increased by at least 10p a mile on all trips, or that Uber UK reduces its com- mission from 25 per cent to 20 per cent. A letter sent to the company by south
its pricing structure on long trips for Portsmouth drivers. While there was an increase for short trips last year, the amount drivers get paid for long trips has reduced, often to below £1 a mile - which drivers say is not enough. Peter Sutherland is the trade represen- tative for Uber drivers in Portsmouth and went to see the company to take the drivers’ requests.
coast drivers says this is ‘to reflect the increased costs being carried by the driver population as a result of the cur- rent fuel crisis, and the general increase in the cost of living index.’ They have also asked that Uber reviews
LOCAL CAB LAUNCHED IN MANCHESTER AND ACROSS GREATER MANCHESTER
Uber has announced the launch of Local Cab in Manchester and across Greater Manchester, which gives pas- sengers the option to book trips with a local operator via the Uber app. Uber, which first launched in Manch- ester in 2014, is now working with locally licensed operators to meet the high level of demand in the city and across the region. Local Cab trips will be passed to oper- ators based around Greater Man- chester to fulfil, and all subsequent customer support will be provided by them. Naveed Arshad, Director at Street Cars and Scott’s Cars, said: “We look for- ward to making Local Cab available to the people of Manchester.” Ehsan Shakeri, Managing Director at Lynx Taxis, said: “We’re making it quicker and easier for people to get around Manchester.” Jason Deakin, Director at Tameside Taxis, said: “The partnership with Uber is also enabling us to provide further
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job opportunities to our drivers and we hope it will attract new recruits to join our fleet.” As well as Manchester, anyone opening the Uber app in Bury, Bolton, Burnage, Oldham and Timperley can also select the Local Cab option. The six operators involved are Metro Cars in Bolton, Kingsway Cars in Burnage, Elton Fare- bay in Bury, Cresta Cars in Manchester, Z Cars in Oldham and Passenger Cars in Timperley. Fiaz Khan, Director at Elton Farebay, said: “We look forward to making Local Cab available to more people across Greater Manchester. Nicholas Astley, Director at Metro Cars, said: “We’re connecting more passen- gers with drivers via the Uber app.” Ray Tandy, owner/Director at Passen- ger Cars, said: “The partnership is enabling us to provide further job opportunities to our drivers.” Kamran Saeed, Director at Z Cars, said: “We hope it will attract new recruits to join our fleet.”
“Because of this particular aspect of the fuel crisis we are bleeding money here and it can’t continue,” he said. “If it does continue and Uber doesn’t do anything we will have to take action. We will switch off the app at critical times if they don’t listen to our con- cerns. It’s a similar picture around the country.” George Sorin Iurea, 38, of Portsmouth has been an Uber driver for four years. He said Uber does not pay as much as rival taxi firms, and that the price per mile as well as the price of fuel is the problem. Mahala Dyer, Dante Damien and Kim Brodie, all of Portsmouth, agreed. They said they ‘love their job’ but the condi- tions have made it harder to work. Dante said that it was not just the cost of fuel but that the cost of parts and servicing a car had gone up too. And Mahala added that Uber’s complaints system should be overhauled. She said that if drivers face a complaint - even if unfounded - they can be blocked from working for three days. If they are vin- dicated and it is proved that the driver has done nothing wrong, they can still lose out on perks and work. An Uber spokesman said: “We are always looking at how we can help drivers reduce their costs and max- imise their earnings, and we recognise that rising fuel costs are an issue at the moment. “All eligible drivers on Uber are also guaranteed at least the National Living Wage, holiday pay and access to a pen- sion plan.”
APRIL 2022
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