In the past 24 hours, the Victorian taxi industry’s arguably misguided #YourTaxi campaign has gained rather a lot of traction.
Yesterday, YourTaxis earnestly sent out an enthusiastic invitation to Melburnians to share their taxi stories on Twitter and, oh boy, did it backfire.
The hashtag was immediately inundated with horror stories and complaints that ranged from drivers not knowing where they were going to ripping people off, to refusing short fares, dangerous driving and even physical and sexual assault.
Here are just a few of the doozies that appeared:
Other people were just along for the ride:
It’s no secret that the taxi industry worldwide has been clutching at its collective collar since the ride-sharing app UberX entered the market.
Melbourne taxi drivers were so concerned about losing their customers that they went on strike last month, gathering on the steps of State Parliament to ask the government to crack down on the company, which they say is running an illegal and unregulated service.
Here’s the thing though, people are choosing Uber for one simple reason: Uber is better.
It’s simpler, safer, cheaper and the drivers are immediately held accountable for the service they offer.
Uber was designed with a single aim in mind — to connect commuters with people with cars — and since it’s launch in 2010, the Google-backed company has grown almost exponentially.
Late last year we chatted with a spokesperson from the company, Kate Curran, to find out how safe the service was, given the scaremongering coming from the taxi industry.
“We’ve disrupted the (taxi) industry, which is an industry that hasn’t changed in a very, very, very long time,” Ms Curran told Mamamia.
She explained that the drivers are just “people like me and you that go through very thorough screening processes”.
“They have to be over 21, have criminal background checks from the police, an exemplary driving record, they have to have full insurance policies… so every trip is fully covered,” she said. “And the vehicles have to be no older than 2005, four-door.
“So once they’ve passed the background checks we on-board them and train them how to use the app, (and) train them how to do customer service.”
Here’s what else:
Top Comments
I am from Adelaide and the new assault a public transport worker do 25 years jail time rule doesn't exist for this lot.coupled this with the fact it's a here today gone tomorrow kind of service and doesn't come with a choice of payment method it's not for everyone.you are also obligated to them and can't say i'm as a special treat use Brunel or Hughes or Astra today for a special event or an airport transfer.
Everyone's had a shitty cab experience and I'm sure once uber has been around for 30+ years, there will be plenty of shitty uber experiences for everyone to bitch about.
I won't use uber because regardless of how you spin it, they are not fully insured and you are NOT fully covered should an accident occur. And you won't get away with suing Uber either because they don't hold any responsibility.