Comments on: If Uber wants London, it faces the fight of its life

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:56:38 +0000

The London black cab drivers are fighting back
after years of sitting back and watching the mini cab
Companies encroaching into our business.
With more comfortable taxis and the use of apps
Like Hailo, we are winning back our work that we have worked very hard for after studying the knowledge. Even the very well established mini cab companies are now starting to see the effect of apps like Hailo.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:39:37 +0000

As I drive the latest tx4 black cab it’s very spacious and has new independent suspension,we’re you can really
stretch out your legs unlike that of any chauffeur driven vehicle. I had to reply to your above article just to educate you on studying the knowledge. It’s covers twelve miles of London as well as the suburbs.
The last job to heathrow from Harrods last week on the meter £42.00, compare that to any other service and
I’m sure they are much more expensive.
Chris

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:22:00 +0000

That may have been the case, but not any more.
Hailo has arrived the black cab app, and it’s here to stay.
As a London cabbie I’m now picking up passengers on Hailo as far out as Norwood.

By: chaemirael

chaemirael — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:33:42 +0000

Have you heard about the UBERTIKI promo code that gives you £20 off when you sign up for Uber London?

All you have to do is enter promo code “UBERTIKI” when you sign up for Uber (don’t worry, it’s free) and you’ll get £20 worth of credit. So if your first ride cost less than £20, it will be a free.

You can find out more at this post by the blogger who’s offering the deal:

http://tikichris.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/20-worth-of-free-chauffeured-travel-with-uber_lon-and-tikichris-its-ubertiki/

By: Martin Eriksson

Martin Eriksson — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:28:37 +0000

I’ve been trying Uber over the last week here in London and think they’re on to a winner.

Black cabs are undoubtedly the best taxis in the world, and they are my preferred option in central London but outside Zone 1 their benefits collapse quickly. The Knowledge only extends so far meaning even they need directions or GPS, they get expensive really quickly over distances and they’re frankly not comfortable for anything more than a 10-20 min journey. Ever done a Heathrow run in a black cab? It’s not very pleasant.

My recent experiences with Uber have been exceptional – all between central London and zone 2/3. Being chauffeured around in a Merc S-Class or BMW 7-series for LESS than a black cab is amazing.

So who are the real competition? Addison Lee comes to mind, and frankly their brand hasn’t been doing too well lately so corporate customers and people like me who take the occasional private car will abandon them in droves – IF Uber add pre-booking as an option.

By: Bobbie Johnson

Bobbie Johnson — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:25:36 +0000

You know the old saying…

By: Craig Sli

Craig Sli — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:48:13 +0000

Travis looks like Buddy Hackett.

By: Simon Dux

Simon Dux — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:39:27 +0000

Getting black cabs South of the Thames in London is still a big problem despite the number of professionals there.

By: Richard Corso

Richard Corso — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:59:55 +0000

Uber needs an edge and I suggest they use clean energy vehicles, develops an app for booking via smart phones and promotes a multiple purchase scheme with a discount so that it ties customers to their service – good luck

By: Paul Cockerton

Paul Cockerton — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:07:50 +0000

I think it’s going to be quite difficult for hail a taxi apps to compete with raising hands unless, like Hailo, you have significant above the line spend to raise awareness. Even then, in my experience trying to use the app to hail a cab is difficult – by the time the cab arrives two or three others have passed you in the street. Thus repeat business may be low.

IMHO The real competition is in the pre-booking, and the corporate market. Addison Lee do have huge presence but I agree that they seem to be disliked not only in the industry but also by many of the current paying passengers. I think because of that Uber do have an opportunity – but there’s also companies like Green Tomatoes who’re really focusing on the ride experience (Prius, Wifi in car) and as a result are getting quite significant repeat business – they’re incredibly good value too. Now that’s a good strategy.