Uber customers told to think twice about where they ask to be picked up

FURIOUS Uber drivers are fed up of us making a big mistake, and it’s putting them at risk of breaking the law.

IT’S a mistake we’re making so often that seasoned Uber drivers say they see it every day — and they’re growing sick of it.

But when a driver sees a job which requires them to pick someone up in a no-stopping zone, what should they do?

One experienced Uber driver told news.com.au he has had a fiery argument with customers over the issue and he has even had to change his hours in a desperate attempt to avoid being caught by traffic wardens.

“I’m so sick of it (customers requesting pick-ups in no-stopping zones). It happens every day and often several times a day too,” said Sydney driver Chris Berrett*.

“It makes you worried when you get a job in the CBD especially, because you’re always thinking about where you can stop and if a warden is watching.

“I just think a lot of people don’t care about where they hail the Uber from, especially if they’ve had a few drinks. Either that or they seem to think we have some special entitlement which means we can stop anywhere. We don’t.”

Uber drivers say they are risking fines of hundreds of dollars to pick us up. Picture: News Corp Australia

It came to a head last week, when a Sydney couple requested a pick-up in a no-stopping area in Sydney CBD — directly underneath a no-stopping sign.

Mr Berrett said he politely tried to tell the couple how he could cop a fine of hundreds of dollars for picking them up and asked them to carefully choose where they ask to be picked up next time.

However, the request didn’t go down well and a heated argument ensued. Now, Mr Berrett is scared to tell customers in case they are offended and leave him negative reviews and one-star ratings — something taxi drivers don’t have to worry about.

He has even begun to start his shift at 4am every morning in an effort to avoid the CBD during the day, when more traffic wardens are on the prowl. The experienced driver now refuses to go into the city during the day for fear of copping a fine.

Mohammed Said*, another driver from Sydney, told news.com.au he has been in contact with Uber to ask what happened if he was slapped with a parking fine because a customer requested a pick up in a no-stopping zone.

He said he was eventually sent an email from the tech giant that basically told him it was his fault if he was caught and he would have to cough up the money for the fine.

Mr Said was told that since he held a full Australian driving license, he should be aware of where he could stop. But, he said this didn’t address the issue — which was that Uber drivers were being put in an awkward situation through no fault of their own and they could be slapped with a negative rating if they disagreed with customers.

“It’s frustrating because you don’t know if it’s a no-stopping zone until you get there and then it’s too late,” he said.

Uber says customers share some of the responsibility of making sure they are picked up and dropped off in safe and legal locations. Picture: iStock

“Remember, we don’t get given a car. So you’re not going to waste your fuel and the wear-and-tear on your car going all the way to jobs and then say, ‘Actually, I’m not going to pick them up’ just because they’re stood in the wrong place.”

However, a spokeswoman for Uber told news.com.au its “driver-partners” were “responsible for transporting their passengers safely and reliably around the city in which they operate in”.

“The safety of our riders and driver-partners on the road is important to us,” she said. “Under our Community Guidelines driver-partners are responsible for following the local road laws at all times.

“We remind driver-partners to pick up or drop off passengers in safe and legal locations, like passenger loading zones or where there is enough space to pull over and avoid blocking bus or bike lanes.”

However, she said customers also share some of the responsibility in making this happen.

“Riders also have a responsibility to not ask their driver to break the law by ignoring road regulations,” she said. “Uber driver-partners have the ability to rate their rider and provide feedback so we encourage riders to be respectful at all times.

“Our 24/7 customer support team evaluates all feedback and we will take appropriate action if an issue of this nature is raised.”

* Names have been changed at the drivers’ request.

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