How protesting taxi drivers drove us to Uber

MANY taxi drivers have no one to blame but themselves for the rise of Uber, and this week’s protest at Melbourne Airport did their cause no favours, writes Susie O’Brien.

TOO many taxi drivers are rude and have poor personal hygiene.

Those drivers have no one but themselves to blame for the rise of Uber.

Stopping people getting to and from a busy metropolitan airport is no way to win a public

relations battle either, as happened last night.

Passengers are sick of drivers with little knowledge of Australian cities.

TAXI THREAT FIZZLES AS UBERX TAKES OFF

Dodgy taxi drivers have no one to blame but themselves for the rise of ridesharing apps like Uber. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Last night’s blockade at Melbourne Airport was a protest against the announcement that

Uber would be allowed to operate there from today.

Well, most people are happy such moves make it easier to use Uber at the airport.

Uber wouldn’t be as popular as it is if the standard of service from taxi drivers was better.

Passengers like me are totally sick of drivers who don’t speak English well, stay on the

phone throughout the trip, don’t know where they are going, and turn up late.

Often they rely on us to tell them where to go, refuse to take us on short rides, are difficult

to book and hard to cancel.

Hayley Duncan and Olivia Piccini are among the first Uber passengers to be picked up at Melbourne Airport today. Picture: Nicole Garmston

As I’ve pointed out previously, I once had a taxi driver who once asked me to speak more quietly

when his own phone rang.

I’ve also had drivers tell me half way into the ride that they can’t drop me where I need to

go because they have another fare booked.

So I have absolutely no sympathy for the taxi industry, which has charged a fortune for a

substandard service for decades.

I am sympathetic towards the cabbies who have spent their life savings on expensive licences, but too many of them outsource to foreign workers who don’t know our cities and

aren’t invested in the work.

Melbourne Airport was blockaded by taxi drivers in a protest against Uber. Picture: Mark Stewart

UBER DRIVES CAB COMPETITION

Taxi drivers aren’t going to win over the public by declaring they’ll continue to hold protests

if they don’t get what they want from airport management.

One traveller caught up in the protest said his taxi driver demanded cash upfront before

dumping him on the roadside 1km from the airport. This is a disgrace.

Uber is a legitimate option many travellers want access to. If taxi drivers continue behaving

like this, Uber will be more popular than ever.

@susieob