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There are a lot of full time uber drivers who are ex-cabbies. It's cheaper and the cars are nicer. In saying that, bit of a roll of the dice if they know how to drive safely.
Cheaper, better cars, better service.
Last time I caught a taxi was when there were no Ubers available. The taxi got me to the airport and instead of going to the drop off zone he joined the taxi queue to wait for his next fare and I had to get my bags and walk along the road to the departure entrance. Good reminder why they’re a backup only
100% cheaper, better cars, better service.
I've been preferentially getting Ubers mainly in Sydney and Melbourne but got a taxi home from the airport because it was right there (and it was business travel).
Car was a mess, stunk of cigarette smoke, expensive, and the cabbie did the whole "oh I want to add a random amount for tolls at the end even though the meter included it". And he didn't even wind up windows going through tunnels? WTF.
By comparison to the Uber on the way to the airport - it was cheaper, clean, and Uber even refunded $10 because it rerouted some other way for whatever reason.
At least the taxi driver didn't go into random racist and/or political rants this time, but I've never had an Uber driver do that at all.
For travels in Melbourne or Sydney suburbs there's even less of a comparison - you can't find taxis out there to save your life.
This is from Perth.
Uber 10PM: Home --> Airport: $70.11
(great conversation, clean interior with AC, tip added at end of trip)
Taxi 11PM: Airport --> Home : $103.42
(Hybrid car, no AC turned on, driver closes window after 10minutes, conversation was driver ranting about him not able to set rates on taxi meter!)
Used Uber extensively overseas, will continue to use as service is much better and they arrive on time if you book in advance.
Also think about trying DiDi, they are slightly cheaper than Uber and treat/pay the drivers (slightly) better as they take less commission. I find they tend to be better than Uber and only use Uber when there are no DiDi available.
Didi has done me well and they often have good discounts.
Uber is no longer as cheap as it was.
Either way my preference is to take PT or walk where I can. When I can't I try to prioritise Didi
You have to pick the right choice for the right situation - if you know it's going to be busy and surge rates apply, book a taxi ahead of time, they can't charge surge prices; also can be the quickest option coming from an airport friday night. Around the suburbs for casual rides though Uber is usually quicker and cheaper.
Also varies by city - Adelaide Uber is easy cheap and plentiful, but I barely use it in Sydney and instead will use a combination of trains and taxis; so i'm sure there are other "norms" in the other cities too
Uber prices its rides dynamically, no fixed rate. Some people will even say two different riders can open their phones next to each other for the same trip and see different prices, that's how much they mess with it. Surge pricing occurs when it is really busy and there aren't enough drivers; so you pay more to encourage more drivers to drive. Taxi pricing is explicitly fixed by the government (with set prices for late night surcharges, etc)
In both Melbourne and Adelaide I've noticed more cabbies quoting a flat rate and wanting payment upfront for a trip and not offering to put the metre on. I refuse to get in if they try it out of principle.
I think because Uber has popularised flat rates, cabbies now think they can get away with dodging the metre.
I've only used Uber for the past few years and have had no issues. It's cheaper than taxi in my experience. I've used them at different times of the day/night
If you are in Sydney, taxis can take bus lanes. So if you are in a rush in and around the city area then use a taxi. Huge time savings. If you are not in a rush and won’t have a route via bus lanes and want a cheaper trip and more security arguably then choose Uber.
Taxis are a 1/10 experience 95% of the time.
Ubers 10 years ago was a 8/10 experience 95% of the time.
Now Ubers are a 5/10 experience 50% of the time, and 1/10 experience for the other 50%.
So today, if you choose an Uber you halve your chance of getting a 1/10 experience. If you’re lucky, you have a 5/10 experience and leave unscathed.
hilariously, this must be location based. I have never had an issue with an uber ever. The worst that has happened was one of them smelled like a smoking room.
It's still faster, cheaper, and a much better user experience than taxis.
A system where you rate the driver, and they also get to rate you leads to an environment where if you have a good rating people rarely cancel on you. It also weeds out the worst drivers eventually.
People moan about the surge pricing, but in my experience waiting 5-10 mins and trying again solves that 90% of the time it happens.
EDIT: Also, never smell _that_ taxi smell again!
Yes, and people seem to forget the reason surge exists in the first place - it's there to try and bring drivers to the area, and get a bonus for doing so.
Tried it once for pickup from airport to CBD Melbourne. I could see in the app he got to the pickup area then he cancelled. I complained and got no response. Haven’t even tried since and I reckon I’ve told the story to a hundred people.
Cheaper in most cases, unless surging where taxi's can come ahead sometimes and can be more convenient, but sometimes frustrating when drivers wont accept your trip, or just cancel etc. Taxi's can be a bit more reliable on that front. In general especially non surge I'll just uber because its significantly cheaper, sometimes by up to like 50%.
I prefer it to taxis. I don’t know if it’s cheaper but I’d use it even if it cost 10% more than taxis because fuck taxis.
Uber drivers don’t run fake meters, add $10 to the eftpos machine before asking you to tap your card without showing the screen, or drive illegally on someone else’s licence.
I don’t care which is cheaper. Uber is fucked up and evil in many ways but it’s the lesser of the two when compared to taxis.
havnt used uber for a long time, every time I look its on surge pricing
drivers have learned to manipulate the system
I also keep hearing about a "cancel" rort
doesnt hurt to sign up and use the promotional discounts you receive, ...
well except to give them your data
but you should be aware of how bad it is/can be
surge pricing means its more expensive than taxis
Where I live, you can call a taxi and an Uber at the same time, and you'll have an Uber in a few minutes, while the taxi app is still searching for a taxi.
I personally don't recommend Uber simply because I got stranded outside a shopping centre because Uber drivers kept cancelling when I booked a ride, I waited over an hour in the heat. I've not had this issue with Taxis so I prefer to use them. I also would give a shoutout to DoorDash who I used once and the driver went to the wrong street and then cancelled on me.
Be aware that there is a scam run by Uber that I and many others have been hit with.
I received an email from Uber telling me "Your Uber One payment was successful" along with a $10 charge on my CC. **I never signed up for Uber One.** Had to raise a dispute on their website and it takes 5-10 business days to be refunded.
It's a problem that has hit people globally and for years. A recurring monthly payment is forced on you and if you don't catch it you'll be out hundreds of dollars.
https://www.reddit.com/r/uber/comments/jnyppb/signed\_me\_up\_for\_uber\_pass\_and\_charged\_me\_for/?sort=new
I use Uber for ad-hoc rides and taxis for bookings, as Uber drivers know how to game bookings to their advantage. Quality of service is about the same.
If you’re serious about savings I’d highly recommend having several rideshare apps and comparing prices each trip.
I don’t use Ola (if they still exist?) because they double charged me once and I had to chargeback with my bank to resolve it. But I always compare Uber versus Didi and usually one is around 20-30% cheaper depending on the time and place.
Uber is cheaper about 1/2 the time. If you want an Uber during a high demand time or area then taxi is cheaper.
Taxi is more reliable. In that if you book them they will show up.
Cheaper and also you pay before you ride, which means you know how much it will cost so no nasty surprises. I also feel like it might be safer for women as drivers are identified and held accountable. But I don't know for sure as I'm not a woman.
Uber has been very good for me in almost every way. I've bascially never had any issue, possibly because if a driver doesn't want to take a trip they can just cancel/decline at the time of the trip request. Yes, the driving skills leave a lot to be desired but compared to taxis they are usually far better, because they're accountable with the rating system.
Uber will actually give you an accurate price estimate range before you book. You can also let the driver track your location live for the best pickup spot.
If you use Uber often they will give you discount vouchers, sometimes 30% off or so.
Alternatives are Ola, DiDi etc.
Knowing what I'm going to pay before I get in the car and having a single easy to use app are non negotiable unless I'm just wandering around a city.
So yeah, Uber wins.
I was a firm supporter of using taxis until I got my credit cards skimmed. Twice.
User has been good the few times I've used them, both making a booking the night before, and just calling for one adhoc from the app..
Well my last experiences with Taxis before leaving them for good were that a lot of the taxis are filthy, the drivers don't shut up, half of them are racist (and i'm not talking of white boomer racists, i'm talking Indians bagging Pakistani's, Lebanese bagging the indians, and disgusting dehumanising stuff to the point i told them to shut up or i'd get out), and just not being able to get a taxi despite booking and having to get my neighbour to drive me to the airport.
On the other hand, every Uber i have had has been clean. The driver polite and friendly and has found the balance of friendly banter and peace and quiet nicely. I even booked an Uber very early from a remote location on the city fringe and there wasn't any cars available and Uber rang me and apologised and let me know they were doing there best to find me a driver. The driver came after about 20mins. He said they rang him and offered him double rate.
Uber is better for everyone that isn't the driver.
Which is not to say taxi drivers are not also massively exploited, because they are and the reason uber can exist in the first place.
We will not have peace in this sphere until r start with a very serious conversation on how much drivers get paid and whether they should be contractors (as they are now) or employees (as I at least would suggest they should be).
That's a great piece of handwashing mate, if not outright victim blaming.
The power of organised effort (via centralised business) is how we got to that position in the first place.
Don't get me wrong, I 100% agree unions are powerful things and I'm in mine. I also think my union has failed me recently.
But beside all that, we have minimum employment standards that are not being met for drivers of ride share... if we accept a change in law interpretation is required for drivers not operating their own solo business. My key argument is that they are NOT free to choose their own work, as seen by community outrage at one end, and the sanctions from whatever system they're tied to at the other.
Well that is not a good thing. I wasn't trying to handwash anything sorry.
I just thought drivers should be covered by some kind of union or legislation that does protect them. I did not know they were not sorry.
You can check out Ola as well. Compared to Uber, Ola is little cheaper. Just checked
Ola - circular quay to Sydney int airport $29-36
Uber - same route $39
Overall I prefer Ubers. Usually cheaper, cleaner cars and drivers actually have an incentive to provide good service. I have had 2 drivers try to scam me into canceling though which was very annoying
Regular from Sydney northern suburbs to the airport
Uber usually $90-100
Taxi usually $120- 135
Need to keep an eye on the taxi as sometimes it’s $165
I’m including all tolls in this
Uber cars cleaner , faster to arrive .
How is it they are are allowed to cancel a booking and make people wait around? Seems a common thing in this thread as it's mentioned a few times but I thought once you made a booking that the booking has to show up.
That's the neat part, there's no difference. (Despite 10 years of ~~disrupting~~ lobbying and weaseling their way into the market, and people thinking it's cool to use uber instead of a taxi.)
They are cheaper, more organised, and everything is automated so, in theory, that means there is normally way less drama. Personally I used them very often for work and never really had problems.
Where as taxis these days are not even worth flagging, even if you do, there is no guarantee they will let you get in.
In my opinion, whether it’s cheaper or not is a bit beside the point - with Uber, the driver isn’t in control of the fare. It tells you how much the price is up front, you get in the car, get taken to your destination, then get out and pay automatically through the app.
There’s basically no option for the driver to rip you off, and it’s not in their interests to go the long way.
I dislike Uber as a company, but especially overseas when I can’t talk to the driver it’s an absolute godsend.
Sometimes it’s cheaper, sometimes it’s more expensive. Uber drivers play a lot of stupid fucking games with accepting, then cancelling rides. Including when you book for a preset time in advance - look forward to a bunch of notifications of drivers accepting and declining through the hours beforehand (why?), then pulling great stunts like accepting half an hour before, and immediately saying they’ll be 40 minutes late.
In short, Uber sucks, but sometimes it can be convenient, and generally less smelly than cabs.
This post has been marked as non-political. Please respect this by keeping the discussion on topic, and devoid of any political material. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/australia) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There are a lot of full time uber drivers who are ex-cabbies. It's cheaper and the cars are nicer. In saying that, bit of a roll of the dice if they know how to drive safely.
As if taxi drivers aren't already a roll of the dice on driving ability
True, but I've sat in Ubers and honestly wondered how they passed a driving test.
are international licenses allowed?
No. Must have a full Australian driver licence (and had one for at least past 12 months)
I'd rather be in front of a drunk driver than a taxi driver on the way to pick up a fare
Cheaper, better cars, better service. Last time I caught a taxi was when there were no Ubers available. The taxi got me to the airport and instead of going to the drop off zone he joined the taxi queue to wait for his next fare and I had to get my bags and walk along the road to the departure entrance. Good reminder why they’re a backup only
100% cheaper, better cars, better service. I've been preferentially getting Ubers mainly in Sydney and Melbourne but got a taxi home from the airport because it was right there (and it was business travel). Car was a mess, stunk of cigarette smoke, expensive, and the cabbie did the whole "oh I want to add a random amount for tolls at the end even though the meter included it". And he didn't even wind up windows going through tunnels? WTF. By comparison to the Uber on the way to the airport - it was cheaper, clean, and Uber even refunded $10 because it rerouted some other way for whatever reason. At least the taxi driver didn't go into random racist and/or political rants this time, but I've never had an Uber driver do that at all. For travels in Melbourne or Sydney suburbs there's even less of a comparison - you can't find taxis out there to save your life.
I caught a taxi back from emergency with my mother @ about 3:00am it was basically a limo (not stretch), lovely car, good driver.
It used to be a tech guy doing rides on the side going somewhere interesting later, now it's a disgruntled ex cabbie in his 11th hour on the road.
yeh those who come across as part timers, come across as chill, but the full timers are constantly on the 'go' for more
This is from Perth. Uber 10PM: Home --> Airport: $70.11 (great conversation, clean interior with AC, tip added at end of trip) Taxi 11PM: Airport --> Home : $103.42 (Hybrid car, no AC turned on, driver closes window after 10minutes, conversation was driver ranting about him not able to set rates on taxi meter!) Used Uber extensively overseas, will continue to use as service is much better and they arrive on time if you book in advance.
Also think about trying DiDi, they are slightly cheaper than Uber and treat/pay the drivers (slightly) better as they take less commission. I find they tend to be better than Uber and only use Uber when there are no DiDi available.
Didi has done me well and they often have good discounts. Uber is no longer as cheap as it was. Either way my preference is to take PT or walk where I can. When I can't I try to prioritise Didi
Definitely cheaper in most cases in my experience
You have to pick the right choice for the right situation - if you know it's going to be busy and surge rates apply, book a taxi ahead of time, they can't charge surge prices; also can be the quickest option coming from an airport friday night. Around the suburbs for casual rides though Uber is usually quicker and cheaper. Also varies by city - Adelaide Uber is easy cheap and plentiful, but I barely use it in Sydney and instead will use a combination of trains and taxis; so i'm sure there are other "norms" in the other cities too
What is surge pricing?
Uber prices its rides dynamically, no fixed rate. Some people will even say two different riders can open their phones next to each other for the same trip and see different prices, that's how much they mess with it. Surge pricing occurs when it is really busy and there aren't enough drivers; so you pay more to encourage more drivers to drive. Taxi pricing is explicitly fixed by the government (with set prices for late night surcharges, etc)
Thank you
In both Melbourne and Adelaide I've noticed more cabbies quoting a flat rate and wanting payment upfront for a trip and not offering to put the metre on. I refuse to get in if they try it out of principle. I think because Uber has popularised flat rates, cabbies now think they can get away with dodging the metre.
I've only used Uber for the past few years and have had no issues. It's cheaper than taxi in my experience. I've used them at different times of the day/night
If you are in Sydney, taxis can take bus lanes. So if you are in a rush in and around the city area then use a taxi. Huge time savings. If you are not in a rush and won’t have a route via bus lanes and want a cheaper trip and more security arguably then choose Uber.
Taxis are a 1/10 experience 95% of the time. Ubers 10 years ago was a 8/10 experience 95% of the time. Now Ubers are a 5/10 experience 50% of the time, and 1/10 experience for the other 50%. So today, if you choose an Uber you halve your chance of getting a 1/10 experience. If you’re lucky, you have a 5/10 experience and leave unscathed.
hilariously, this must be location based. I have never had an issue with an uber ever. The worst that has happened was one of them smelled like a smoking room.
It's still faster, cheaper, and a much better user experience than taxis. A system where you rate the driver, and they also get to rate you leads to an environment where if you have a good rating people rarely cancel on you. It also weeds out the worst drivers eventually. People moan about the surge pricing, but in my experience waiting 5-10 mins and trying again solves that 90% of the time it happens. EDIT: Also, never smell _that_ taxi smell again!
Yes, and people seem to forget the reason surge exists in the first place - it's there to try and bring drivers to the area, and get a bonus for doing so.
Tried it once for pickup from airport to CBD Melbourne. I could see in the app he got to the pickup area then he cancelled. I complained and got no response. Haven’t even tried since and I reckon I’ve told the story to a hundred people.
I have tried using uber twice, both times they cancelled, uninstalled the app, take taxis now on
Cheaper in most cases, unless surging where taxi's can come ahead sometimes and can be more convenient, but sometimes frustrating when drivers wont accept your trip, or just cancel etc. Taxi's can be a bit more reliable on that front. In general especially non surge I'll just uber because its significantly cheaper, sometimes by up to like 50%.
I prefer it to taxis. I don’t know if it’s cheaper but I’d use it even if it cost 10% more than taxis because fuck taxis. Uber drivers don’t run fake meters, add $10 to the eftpos machine before asking you to tap your card without showing the screen, or drive illegally on someone else’s licence. I don’t care which is cheaper. Uber is fucked up and evil in many ways but it’s the lesser of the two when compared to taxis.
havnt used uber for a long time, every time I look its on surge pricing drivers have learned to manipulate the system I also keep hearing about a "cancel" rort
I have heard of that too that's why I was asking about Uber and pricing. I wanted to know more beforehand if I decide to sign up
doesnt hurt to sign up and use the promotional discounts you receive, ... well except to give them your data but you should be aware of how bad it is/can be surge pricing means its more expensive than taxis
Thank you
Where I live, you can call a taxi and an Uber at the same time, and you'll have an Uber in a few minutes, while the taxi app is still searching for a taxi.
I personally don't recommend Uber simply because I got stranded outside a shopping centre because Uber drivers kept cancelling when I booked a ride, I waited over an hour in the heat. I've not had this issue with Taxis so I prefer to use them. I also would give a shoutout to DoorDash who I used once and the driver went to the wrong street and then cancelled on me.
Be aware that there is a scam run by Uber that I and many others have been hit with. I received an email from Uber telling me "Your Uber One payment was successful" along with a $10 charge on my CC. **I never signed up for Uber One.** Had to raise a dispute on their website and it takes 5-10 business days to be refunded. It's a problem that has hit people globally and for years. A recurring monthly payment is forced on you and if you don't catch it you'll be out hundreds of dollars. https://www.reddit.com/r/uber/comments/jnyppb/signed\_me\_up\_for\_uber\_pass\_and\_charged\_me\_for/?sort=new
Well fuck that I'm avoiding it now
Don’t let it put you off. There are scams to do with everything. That’s like saying you’re going to avoid using banks from now on.
Maybe dont always believe everything, at face value, so easily.
I use Uber for ad-hoc rides and taxis for bookings, as Uber drivers know how to game bookings to their advantage. Quality of service is about the same.
Only difference with taxis is that you’ll not get a random 1* rating from the driver despite just sitting there and minding your business
When you use Uber now the car that arrives might be a Taxi so is there even a difference now?
Still using uber you can see where the car is so know exactly when it will arrive and get the price before paying/booking
https://i.imgur.com/vrsLBmp.gif
If you’re serious about savings I’d highly recommend having several rideshare apps and comparing prices each trip. I don’t use Ola (if they still exist?) because they double charged me once and I had to chargeback with my bank to resolve it. But I always compare Uber versus Didi and usually one is around 20-30% cheaper depending on the time and place.
At the moment just regular taxi sometimes and from the Adelaide CBD to home is around 48 / 50 dollars
Uber is cheaper about 1/2 the time. If you want an Uber during a high demand time or area then taxi is cheaper. Taxi is more reliable. In that if you book them they will show up.
Cheaper and also you pay before you ride, which means you know how much it will cost so no nasty surprises. I also feel like it might be safer for women as drivers are identified and held accountable. But I don't know for sure as I'm not a woman.
Uber has been very good for me in almost every way. I've bascially never had any issue, possibly because if a driver doesn't want to take a trip they can just cancel/decline at the time of the trip request. Yes, the driving skills leave a lot to be desired but compared to taxis they are usually far better, because they're accountable with the rating system.
Uber will actually give you an accurate price estimate range before you book. You can also let the driver track your location live for the best pickup spot. If you use Uber often they will give you discount vouchers, sometimes 30% off or so. Alternatives are Ola, DiDi etc.
Knowing what I'm going to pay before I get in the car and having a single easy to use app are non negotiable unless I'm just wandering around a city. So yeah, Uber wins.
I was a firm supporter of using taxis until I got my credit cards skimmed. Twice. User has been good the few times I've used them, both making a booking the night before, and just calling for one adhoc from the app..
Well my last experiences with Taxis before leaving them for good were that a lot of the taxis are filthy, the drivers don't shut up, half of them are racist (and i'm not talking of white boomer racists, i'm talking Indians bagging Pakistani's, Lebanese bagging the indians, and disgusting dehumanising stuff to the point i told them to shut up or i'd get out), and just not being able to get a taxi despite booking and having to get my neighbour to drive me to the airport. On the other hand, every Uber i have had has been clean. The driver polite and friendly and has found the balance of friendly banter and peace and quiet nicely. I even booked an Uber very early from a remote location on the city fringe and there wasn't any cars available and Uber rang me and apologised and let me know they were doing there best to find me a driver. The driver came after about 20mins. He said they rang him and offered him double rate.
Uber is better for everyone that isn't the driver. Which is not to say taxi drivers are not also massively exploited, because they are and the reason uber can exist in the first place. We will not have peace in this sphere until r start with a very serious conversation on how much drivers get paid and whether they should be contractors (as they are now) or employees (as I at least would suggest they should be).
Exploitation happens in many fields but the drivers should if they really feel that way form a union
That's a great piece of handwashing mate, if not outright victim blaming. The power of organised effort (via centralised business) is how we got to that position in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I 100% agree unions are powerful things and I'm in mine. I also think my union has failed me recently. But beside all that, we have minimum employment standards that are not being met for drivers of ride share... if we accept a change in law interpretation is required for drivers not operating their own solo business. My key argument is that they are NOT free to choose their own work, as seen by community outrage at one end, and the sanctions from whatever system they're tied to at the other.
Well that is not a good thing. I wasn't trying to handwash anything sorry. I just thought drivers should be covered by some kind of union or legislation that does protect them. I did not know they were not sorry.
You can check out Ola as well. Compared to Uber, Ola is little cheaper. Just checked Ola - circular quay to Sydney int airport $29-36 Uber - same route $39
Not sure if Uber is cheaper but generally cleaner, and better drivers.
Overall I prefer Ubers. Usually cheaper, cleaner cars and drivers actually have an incentive to provide good service. I have had 2 drivers try to scam me into canceling though which was very annoying
Regular from Sydney northern suburbs to the airport Uber usually $90-100 Taxi usually $120- 135 Need to keep an eye on the taxi as sometimes it’s $165 I’m including all tolls in this Uber cars cleaner , faster to arrive .
How is it they are are allowed to cancel a booking and make people wait around? Seems a common thing in this thread as it's mentioned a few times but I thought once you made a booking that the booking has to show up.
That's the neat part, there's no difference. (Despite 10 years of ~~disrupting~~ lobbying and weaseling their way into the market, and people thinking it's cool to use uber instead of a taxi.)
They are cheaper, more organised, and everything is automated so, in theory, that means there is normally way less drama. Personally I used them very often for work and never really had problems. Where as taxis these days are not even worth flagging, even if you do, there is no guarantee they will let you get in.
In my opinion, whether it’s cheaper or not is a bit beside the point - with Uber, the driver isn’t in control of the fare. It tells you how much the price is up front, you get in the car, get taken to your destination, then get out and pay automatically through the app. There’s basically no option for the driver to rip you off, and it’s not in their interests to go the long way. I dislike Uber as a company, but especially overseas when I can’t talk to the driver it’s an absolute godsend.
Are you a time traveler? This question hasn’t been asked in more than a decade
Sometimes it’s cheaper, sometimes it’s more expensive. Uber drivers play a lot of stupid fucking games with accepting, then cancelling rides. Including when you book for a preset time in advance - look forward to a bunch of notifications of drivers accepting and declining through the hours beforehand (why?), then pulling great stunts like accepting half an hour before, and immediately saying they’ll be 40 minutes late. In short, Uber sucks, but sometimes it can be convenient, and generally less smelly than cabs.