> Taxis in London were just terrible (and expensive) until Uber
Private hire cabs were terrible. Hackney cabs (the black ones that do on-street pickup) were generally very good if a bit expensive.
Private hire cabs were terrible. Hackney cabs (the black ones that do on-street pickup) were generally very good if a bit expensive.
If you didn't mind listening to racist diatribe from the driver and were willing to support their tax evasion as "the card reader's broken guv - cash only".
I hate Uber for a lot of things, but they don't exploit anyone. If anything Uber is the disruptor that stopped straight up mobs owning the market.
They are not employees at all... and they must figure out their own holiday and sick pay.
(had the same issue with "cash only" in several cities - Brussels and Washington DC come to mind. That's why I use Uber)
There are two types of license for London black cabs - one for the city center and one for the whole of London. The one that can only do the city center have a green sticker.
Also, if the "for hire" light is on, they are not allowed to refuse to take you to anywhere within their boundary. In practice, if there are a bunch of cabs around, it may make sense to get another one, but if it's pissing down with rain and there are no other cabs in sight, get in the cab first THEN tell them where you are going and insist on it.
As for cash: since 2016, every cab must have a working credit card meter to pick up a far.
AFAIK the opposite is true. The green badge is the 'All London' badge, which entitles the holder to work everywhere in London. The yellow badge is the Suburban badge, which allows them to work in one of 9 specific areas that form a ring around Inner London.
I'm not a fan of Uber specifically, but they certainly do blend together (most of) the best of both worlds for London cab use I've experienced.
I'd also argue that the Night Tube was really helped by their prevalence, so they've made even public transport better as a result (as a traveller, rather than an operator).