Category Archives: Uncategorized
Aberdeen – a tough nut for Uber to crack
This was drafted last October, and obviously things have moved on since Uber’s second crack at Aberdeen sounded a bit speculative back then. And despite the various naysayers, it looks likely Uber’s Granite City application will be rubber-stamped, since the … Continue reading
Cross-border basics
On the one hand, no point revisiting the cross-border misinformation disseminated in relation to the Gatwick Aiport dispute, as per last week’s post. However, a subsequent report on the Sussex Express website contains a couple of other inaccuracies on the … Continue reading
More cross-border mis/disinformation
Finding reported misinformation about the cross-border ‘taxi’ issue is like shooting fish in a barrel. Following the stuff about Blackpool and Lincoln the other day, another couple of good examples have appeared online. First, Unite the Union has issued a … Continue reading
Card payments in Scotland’s taxis – don’t blame the drivers
One of the most contentious issues in the UK taxi and private hire trades in recent years has been card payments (which also includes the likes of smartphone payment apps, contactless etc – it’s therefore all about automated payments instead … Continue reading
A (tall) tale of two Uber towns
Almost a decade ago I set up a (short-lived) blog in an attempt to dispel some of the myths surround the whole Uber phenomenon. The rationale of this new blog is similar, although the intended context is a bit wider. … Continue reading
Part-time and ‘gig economy’ confusion or conflation?
Online industry news site TaxiPoint does a great job in some respects, and its copy is certainly professional and well-written (and as a rank amateur [excuse pun…] I’m allowed to say that). On the other hand, its analysis can be … Continue reading
How Uber is different
Uber has certainly changed the world’s ‘taxi’ landscape, for better or worse. In the UK it has come from nothing to dwarf more traditional providers in just a few years. It’s been regarded as a market ‘disruptor’, with an associated … Continue reading
Why ‘ride-hailing’ is nonsensical and misleading
There are quite a few descriptors associated with Uber and similar operations like Bolt and Ola. Maybe the most prominent one is ‘ride-hailing’, which is problematic in two main respects. First, if some kind of neoligism was required to describe … Continue reading
When it comes to ‘taxis’ it’s the insurers who are Confused
Press reports about the industry can often be confusing because of the incorrect use of terminology. And very often ‘expert’ input and analysis can be anything but. A recent article in Wolverhampton’s Express & Star illustrates both points. The online … Continue reading
Uber-confusion as ‘taxi app giant’ sets sights on Aberdeen
(A tentative first post on my shiny new blog, using an old WordPress theme. Go easy on me, I’m just practising…) It looks like Uber has firmed up its promise (or threat…) to start operating in Aberdeen. According to the … Continue reading