Uber changes the face of the Taxi industry, while traditional companies complain about losing customers. Rod Emmerson.
The issue over whether or not Uber taxi drivers are committing an offence by running up a meter on their iPhones, rather than a prearranged fee, sounds so much like a first-world Auckland problem that I really shouldn't give it the time here. Except that app technology is everyone's technology,
and can filter anywhere.
Uber is an online car request service, via a mobile phone app, which launched in Auckland last year, to the consternation of traditional taxi companies. Fares are billed to a customer's credit card. Like the ratings you get when buying or selling on TradeMe or Ebay, drivers and passengers can be rated.
Rodney Hide, in a recent column, has called the acts of police fining Uber drivers, and turfing their passengers out, as enforcing a crime between consenting capitalist adults.
Whatever Mr Hide says, I would hope the police would make no apologies about doing their job. We have already seen an element of clumsiness with the zero-tolerance speed limit, with an admission of "confusing" messages, but one thing the police haven't stooped to is apologising for enforcing the law. And nor should they. It is interesting to note the zero-tolerance enforcement racked up just $420 in fines, shooting down somewhat cries of "revenue-gathering".
I am a fan of the capitalist system and society is constantly improving its systems and services to suit our smartphone technology. Uber, overseas, has made no bones about the fact it is in direct competition with traditional taxi companies, and its advantage over taxi firms is enormous - partly through the attractive nature of the app, but also because not all rules apply. While drivers do have to have the right endorsements and licences, they don't have to have the expense of cameras in their cars.
