Posts by BenWilson
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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber driver, in reply to Alfie,
The Transport Agency has a minor problem because Uber cars are unbranded.
It's not a minor problem. It's a major problem. It's what makes it so hard for enforcement to do anything about Uberers. They are nearly invisible against the general population of cars. Of course anyone trained to know what to look for can pick them rapidly. The badges and certificates are important. To say the drivers are OK without them makes the drivers that much more stealthy.
Also, the fact that the passenger will typically find you, rather than the other way around, means that Ubers don't have to place themselves anywhere obvious.
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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber driver, in reply to Russell Brown,
It's an easy mistake to make because they confusing use the word "License" to refer to the business license. Don't confused "Passenger Service License" (PSL), with P Endorsement.
A compliant driver needs evidence of both. The P endorsement is what lets you drive for hire, and it is also printed on my actual driver license, on the back. The PSL (which is a subset of Transport Service License (TSL)) is the license showing who it is you essentially work for. This is displayed in the window facing outwards. The P endorsement is displayed within the vehicle, facing backwards for the passengers to see, and has the photo ID, and the "memorable" identifier. Mine is bwilson1. That identifier is unique to the driver, and links back to the NZTA databases.
The PSL need not belong to the driver. You can work under another person's PSL, with their permission, and you must carry papers showing your arrangement with them. I work this way. Many drivers get their own one - in the long run it would pay off, since I pay my guy a cut of 5%. This is my ongoing compliance cost, set against the $449 cost of applying for my own one, and other costs related to the test that they have to pass, which show more detailed knowledge of the law, and much more in-depth knowledge of how a transport operation should work.
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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber driver, in reply to Russell Brown,
Got your eye in spotting P endorsements yet?
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Hard News: How the years flew by ..., in reply to Tom Semmens,
In the end, probably the only economically sane solution is policies designed to halt the upward price spiral without an actual downward correction, and some mild inflation combined with a wages policy that encourages actual wage growth.
I almost totally agree. I'd just say that earnings targeted should not be limited only to wages. We should also be encouraging salary, small business, and benefit growth.
It's another place where a UBI rears its head. Long touted as insane because it could be inflationary, it could now be seen as a good solution because it could be inflationary. It would inflate what matters, people's buying power.
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Hard News: How the years flew by ..., in reply to Glenn Pearce,
I wouldn't say I'm stoked about the thought of both of my parents needing to die before I can take full advantage of Auckland property prices. I want them to live forever.
No but the family home, an investment property or 2 and the bach on waiheke might.
You've got my number there, precisely. But I'd still vote for measures I thought were realistic to control runaway prices.
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Amelia Wade has picked this story up in the Herald. Good article.
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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber driver, in reply to Bob van Ruyssevelt,
Aha, good pickup. That makes a lot more sense now. Oh, and welcome to Public Address!
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Speaker: Confessions of an Uber driver, in reply to Bob van Ruyssevelt,
You are right about that. I should really have said “however much more to get it back to the same”. It’s a bit of a magic unknown formula to me at the moment, because the question of empty returns comes up. If you are getting a lot more jobs, then that may also mean that you’re doing a lot less driving all the way back to a starting point. Also we have the unknown effect of surge pricing on average hourly rates.
As far as I’m concerned the argument can only really be approached by going back through the payments, time online, counting up the kms traveled whilst Ubering, etc. For a reasonable number of people.
I’m definitely aware of the multiple cuts. I’m also aware of the level of driver outrage about the current rates.
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OK, gentlepeople, I'm going to hit the road again, to literally get the word from the street. I think from today's events that further posts would be interesting? I feel that the next blog on what Uber drivers get paid would be of interest, although this is a hell of an undertaking, because it's a very complex question. I could probably treat it cursorily, at least explaining how it works. Getting decent data together is quite a job.
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I get that the passengers are sharing the cost with each other. That's different to what has happened in taxis since they were drawn by horses?