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256 points reubensutton | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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_vrmm ◴[] No.21627000[source]
I know this opinion is not popular but I'm so happy everytime I see bad news for Uber and all these companies that only exist thanks to basically exploiting THEIR workers.

Private transporting is not sustainable and it is not something that has to be affordable for everyone, even less by lowering workers wages or playing with the tariffs by demand. Taxi regulations gives us passengers safety and fair prices. There are taxi apps that work exactly like Uber's like 'Free-now' where you can see your trip, its aproximate cost, the driver's rating...

We have to promote governments that support affordable and good quality public transport, even though I love driving alone in my car.

I hope Deliveroo, Glovo and other companies are also punished for their labour rights abuses. Make sure your delivery guy is payed fairly or either go to the restaurant yourself.

So many years of labour rights fights being attacked by these startups that do not invent anything but base their business model on lower wages.

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xorcist ◴[] No.21627230[source]
> you can see your trip, its aproximate cost, the driver's rating

Here's the thing: I don't want to rate my driver. I want to be able to rely on a third party that all available drivers are punctual and competent. It is not a choice I want to make.

Too much responsibility is already dumped on consumers under the guise of choice. Quality control of services I utilize is something I expect to pay for.

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fabioborellini ◴[] No.21627316[source]
Has centralised quality control for taxi drivers worked somewhere?

Our "grand old" taxi company in my town who advertises for being the only reliable option with professional drivers failed on me five times on a row. On successive rides I got a standard neo-nazi lecture about immigrants, my Visa credit card was refused apparently for transaction costs, two of my drivers got lost and one tried to drive to my destination using mostly sidewalks for driving on.

I sent feedback each time to only receive a generic "we are sorry, we have failed our quality controls and this will never happen again" copy-pasted message. Maybe it's more straightforward to advertise than getting rid of drivers who can't behave.

With Uber I know my bad ranking (I have always rated my drivers 5 stars, so far) has at least some effect on the misbehaving driver.

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bbczfvhmj ◴[] No.21627355[source]
“ Has centralised quality control for taxi drivers worked somewhere?”

From what I hear.... London !

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1. Zach_the_Lizard ◴[] No.21627607[source]
It's also produced cabs with very high pollution [1], up to 30x that of a regular car.

Here in New York we don't have the same kind of unusual taxicabs, but we do strictly regulate taxi and Uber drivers.

I personally find taxis here insufferable. I live in Queens and regularly had to help them "remember" where Queens is. Or remember the TLC regulations about accepting a credit card.

I've not had the same song and dance with Uber.

If this is the quality that the regulations enforce, count me out.

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/black-cabs-taxis-a...