We're still rolling in Bangkok, embattled Uber says

[sjaak327]

I can not recommend the normal taxi services enough. No need for an app, no overpriced rides, and most of the normal Bangkok Taxi drivers are great people.

I personally support Uber being banned, as they do not operate under a level playing field. If and when they do, I would have no problems with them.

Personally I cannot see any advantage. I just get outside a hail a cab, has worked for many years and will work for many years more to come.

[casualbiker]

I can not recommend the normal taxi services enough. No need for an app, no overpriced rides, and most of the normal Bangkok Taxi drivers are great people.

I personally support Uber being banned, as they do not operate under a level playing field. If and when they do, I would have no problems with them.

Personally I cannot see any advantage. I just get outside a hail a cab, has worked for many years and will work for many years more to come.

I like the idea of UBER Black. If it is actually ONLY green plate limousines .. just an easier way of ordering one if that's what you want!

[whybother]

I can not recommend the normal taxi services enough. No need for an app, no overpriced rides, and most of the normal Bangkok Taxi drivers are great people.

I personally support Uber being banned, as they do not operate under a level playing field. If and when they do, I would have no problems with them.

Personally I cannot see any advantage. I just get outside a hail a cab, has worked for many years and will work for many years more to come.

If you can't see any advantage, why do you support it being banned?

It doesn't operate under a level playing field. It provides a service that people are looking for, with modern technology.

The only reason it is "banned" is because it allows drivers who aren't licenced to carry paying passengers to do just that. Not that it can really be banned, anyway. All they've really done is said that they'll fine anyone caught using it that isn't licenced to carry paying passengers.

[sjaak327]

I can not recommend the normal taxi services enough. No need for an app, no overpriced rides, and most of the normal Bangkok Taxi drivers are great people.

I personally support Uber being banned, as they do not operate under a level playing field. If and when they do, I would have no problems with them.

Personally I cannot see any advantage. I just get outside a hail a cab, has worked for many years and will work for many years more to come.

If you can't see any advantage, why do you support it being banned?

It doesn't operate under a level playing field. It provides a service that people are looking for, with modern technology.

The only reason it is "banned" is because it allows drivers who aren't licenced to carry paying passengers to do just that. Not that it can really be banned, anyway. All they've really done is said that they'll fine anyone caught using it that isn't licenced to carry paying passengers.

The fact that those drivers aren't licensed is the reason of the absence of a level playing field. Taxi drivers are required to be licensed, so should any uber driver, it's hardly rocket science.

And yes, banned or forbidden, doesn't matter, if they operate without the required license, they should be taken off the streets. It would be fair for the potential customers as well as to potential competitors who are following the law.

That they employ "modern" technology is completely irrelevant. At the end of the day, they are a taxi service, and they should be treated like such, which means they are currently violating the law.

[casualbiker]

I can not recommend the normal taxi services enough. No need for an app, no overpriced rides, and most of the normal Bangkok Taxi drivers are great people.

I personally support Uber being banned, as they do not operate under a level playing field. If and when they do, I would have no problems with them.

Personally I cannot see any advantage. I just get outside a hail a cab, has worked for many years and will work for many years more to come.

If you can't see any advantage, why do you support it being banned?

It doesn't operate under a level playing field. It provides a service that people are looking for, with modern technology.

The only reason it is "banned" is because it allows drivers who aren't licenced to carry paying passengers to do just that. Not that it can really be banned, anyway. All they've really done is said that they'll fine anyone caught using it that isn't licenced to carry paying passengers.

The fact that those drivers aren't licensed is the reason of the absence of a level playing field. Taxi drivers are required to be licensed, so should any uber driver, it's hardly rocket science.

And yes, banned or forbidden, doesn't matter, if they operate without the required license, they should be taken off the streets. It would be fair for the potential customers as well as to potential competitors who are following the law.

That they employ "modern" technology is completely irrelevant. At the end of the day, they are a taxi service, and they should be treated like such, which means they are currently violating the law.

Uber black use licensed limousines (I think) so it's a limousine service really!

Uber X used normal cars. Which break the law.

[whybother]

The fact that those drivers aren't licensed is the reason of the absence of a level playing field. Taxi drivers are required to be licensed, so should any uber driver, it's hardly rocket science.

And yes, banned or forbidden, doesn't matter, if they operate without the required license, they should be taken off the streets. It would be fair for the potential customers as well as to potential competitors who are following the law.

That they employ "modern" technology is completely irrelevant. At the end of the day, they are a taxi service, and they should be treated like such, which means they are currently violating the law.

Licenced taxi drivers are using it. Should they be stopped from using new technology? Also, there are other apps being used by taxi drivers that haven't been banned.

Uber aren't actually providing a taxi service. They're just providing an application for taxi drivers to connect to passengers.

What Uber should be doing is making sure that drivers that register are licenced taxi drivers. That's what the other taxi apps are doing, and they haven't been banned.

[whybother]

The fact that those drivers aren't licensed is the reason of the absence of a level playing field. Taxi drivers are required to be licensed, so should any uber driver, it's hardly rocket science.

And yes, banned or forbidden, doesn't matter, if they operate without the required license, they should be taken off the streets. It would be fair for the potential customers as well as to potential competitors who are following the law.

That they employ "modern" technology is completely irrelevant. At the end of the day, they are a taxi service, and they should be treated like such, which means they are currently violating the law.

Uber black use licensed limousines (I think) so it's a limousine service really!

Uber X used normal cars. Which break the law.

Normal taxis can also use UberX, so they wouldn't be breaking the law.

[sjaak327]

The fact that those drivers aren't licensed is the reason of the absence of a level playing field. Taxi drivers are required to be licensed, so should any uber driver, it's hardly rocket science.

And yes, banned or forbidden, doesn't matter, if they operate without the required license, they should be taken off the streets. It would be fair for the potential customers as well as to potential competitors who are following the law.

That they employ "modern" technology is completely irrelevant. At the end of the day, they are a taxi service, and they should be treated like such, which means they are currently violating the law.

Licenced taxi drivers are using it. Should they be stopped from using new technology? Also, there are other apps being used by taxi drivers that haven't been banned.

Uber aren't actually providing a taxi service. They're just providing an application for taxi drivers to connect to passengers.

What Uber should be doing is making sure that drivers that register are licenced taxi drivers. That's what the other taxi apps are doing, and they haven't been banned.

Yes, such as Grab which is not banned. They shouldn't be stopped because they use new technology (which isn't really new of course, the marketing hype around it seems to be working) but because they aren't following the law.

Furthermore their price model (and especially their rush hour pricing) might need a bit more scrutiny, it doesn't seem to be a pricing model that is very customer friendly

Again, I personally fail to see why one would consider them in Bangkok, as they don't compete with the current taxi system both on availability and price. They might make sense in cities where you pay through the nose for a taxi.

[whybother]

Yes, such as Grab which is not banned. They shouldn't be stopped because they use new technology (which isn't really new of course, the marketing hype around it seems to be working) but because they aren't following the law.

Furthermore their price model (and especially their rush hour pricing) might need a bit more scrutiny, it doesn't seem to be a pricing model that is very customer friendly

Again, I personally fail to see why one would consider them in Bangkok, as they don't compete with the current taxi system both on availability and price. They might make sense in cities where you pay through the nose for a taxi.

Uber itself isn't breaking the law. People using it that aren't licenced to carry paying passengers are breaking the law.

There pricing model is all about supply and demand. The more demand there is, the higher the price. That encourages more taxi drivers to get out on the road.

Of course, that isn't always a good thing from a publicity point of view. During the recent siege in Sydney, Uber was charging 4 times the normal rate. Apparently they gave refunds to everyone which would have cost them a fortune.

From many of the comments on here praising Uber, it appears that most of them are using the green plate taxis/limousines (UberBlack). They would be paying 3 to 5 times the price of a normal taxi, but if they're prepared to pay it that's up to them. The service provided by a green plate limo is worth the price. Personally, for short trips, like you, I have no problems with the normal taxis, but when I go on longer trips I prefer the comfort of a limo and have no issue paying for it.

[sjaak327]

Yes, such as Grab which is not banned. They shouldn't be stopped because they use new technology (which isn't really new of course, the marketing hype around it seems to be working) but because they aren't following the law.

Furthermore their price model (and especially their rush hour pricing) might need a bit more scrutiny, it doesn't seem to be a pricing model that is very customer friendly

Again, I personally fail to see why one would consider them in Bangkok, as they don't compete with the current taxi system both on availability and price. They might make sense in cities where you pay through the nose for a taxi.

Uber itself isn't breaking the law. People using it that aren't licenced to carry paying passengers are breaking the law.

There pricing model is all about supply and demand. The more demand there is, the higher the price. That encourages more taxi drivers to get out on the road.

Of course, that isn't always a good thing from a publicity point of view. During the recent siege in Sydney, Uber was charging 4 times the normal rate. Apparently they gave refunds to everyone which would have cost them a fortune.

From many of the comments on here praising Uber, it appears that most of them are using the green plate taxis/limousines (UberBlack). They would be paying 3 to 5 times the price of a normal taxi, but if they're prepared to pay it that's up to them. The service provided by a green plate limo is worth the price. Personally, for short trips, like you, I have no problems with the normal taxis, but when I go on longer trips I prefer the comfort of a limo and have no issue paying for it.

Yes I realize that the drivers that signed up and aren't licensed are breaking the law. Pretty good business sense I would say, as I guess the individual drivers are the ones taking the risk and would be fined. And the people behind Uber have nothing to fear.

Maybe something to think about before you sign on (as a driver).

[whybother]

Yes I realize that the drivers that signed up and aren't licensed are breaking the law. Pretty good business sense I would say, as I guess the individual drivers are the ones taking the risk and would be fined. And the people behind Uber have nothing to fear.

Maybe something to think about before you sign on (as a driver).

Also something to think about if you sign on as a passenger. If you do get an unlicenced driver, there is no insurance if you are injured in an accident.

[richard_smith237]

I was without a car for a week. UBER black provided me with Toyota Camry's with Green (on white) number plates (on most occasions). On one occasion UBER Black provided me with a Camry which had Black (on white) number plates. This is where the issue exists - UBER cannot / does not guarantee 100% of the time that their drivers will be insured to take passengers - This is the issue which authorities have clung on to when protecting their taxi companies.

I have also had an accident in the past with a taxi which wasn't insured at all.

Its fairly obvious that there is significant vested interested in protecting the conventional taxis - owned by some connected groups perhaps.

All that said: UBER are ten-fold better than any conventional taxi - with a regular taxi half the time I get a different driver (insured?) than the ID plate shows, the other day I had a frightening journey with a driver who had only been driving 3 days. Just the other day I had a 'grabtaxi' driver who wouldn't follow my directions and took me 30mins out of my way.

The greatest issue I have with conventional taxis is seat belts and poor driving... when I book UBER I can guarantee that the taxi will have rear seat belts, I can guarantee that the driver with drive safely... I can never guarantee that when flagging down a conventional taxi....

I have found UBER Black provide exactly the level of service I wish for - and the kicker... its usually only a dash more expensive than a normal taxi.

As for me - I have no vested interest; as another poster has suggested of anyone who has positive comments of UBER. I am simply very satisfied with the service UBER provide so far.

I hope they can sort out their issue with the Black number plate cars and rely on only Green number plate cars or arrange for a universal insurance.

[sjaak327]

"

The greatest issue I have with conventional taxis is seat belts and poor driving... when I book UBER I can guarantee that the taxi will have rear seat belts, I can guarantee that the driver with drive safely... I can never guarantee that when flagging down a conventional taxi....

"

This is what I don't understand, how could Uber possibly guarantee that the driver will drive safely ?

[whybother]

"

The greatest issue I have with conventional taxis is seat belts and poor driving... when I book UBER I can guarantee that the taxi will have rear seat belts, I can guarantee that the driver with drive safely... I can never guarantee that when flagging down a conventional taxi....

"

This is what I don't understand, how could Uber possibly guarantee that the driver will drive safely ?

That's an issue that they fell foul with in New Delhi. One of their drivers raped a passenger (not that that doesn't happen in normal taxis or even limos). Apparently Uber hadn't done any criminal check on the driver.

[richard_smith237]

"

The greatest issue I have with conventional taxis is seat belts and poor driving... when I book UBER I can guarantee that the taxi will have rear seat belts, I can guarantee that the driver with drive safely... I can never guarantee that when flagging down a conventional taxi....

"

This is what I don't understand, how could Uber possibly guarantee that the driver will drive safely ?

That's an issue that they fell foul with in New Delhi. One of their drivers raped a passenger (not that that doesn't happen in normal taxis or even limos). Apparently Uber hadn't done any criminal check on the driver.

Fair enough - both valid points... Let me rephrase...

Recently, when I have relied on UBER I have done so with an expectation that the UBER Driver will transport me in a relatively new, properly maintained, clean vehicle, with seat belts in a courteous and safe manner. I have no concern or nagging doubt that something negative may happen. I do however recognise that there are never any guarantees.

Conversely, when I use a regular taxi I have numerous concerns...

As someone mentioned earlier - Anyone operating in the public domain (bus driver, Taxi, Teacher etc) should always be vetted / have their background checked. I see no reason why this shouldn't start with UBER. The same checks and balances should applied throughout the services.

[whybother]

It seems Uber is snubbing their nose at the Bangkok authorities:

Free taxis in Bangkok!

Use Uber in Bangkok for free this Christmas

Uber in Bangkok has announced that new and existing customers can use its UberX service in the capital for free for 24 hours from 1am on December 24th 2014.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/786199-thailand-live-tuesday-23-dec-2014/?p=8841103

[whybother]

South Korea prosecutors brought charges against Uber founder and global CEO Travis Kalanick and his Korean partner for operating an illegal taxi service. /Bangkok Post