Uber

 

Uber

There has been a fair bit of discussion over the Ocker court decision re Uber and their dishonest ways.

In many countries, including Oz and New Zealand, Uber came in and set up illegal operations.

In New Zealand they put anyone who wanted a go on their books.

At that time New Zealand had rather strict laws around transporting the public for monetary gain.

First you had to sit a couple of exams – one of those exams  I sat (The Area Knowledge for Christchurch) had 13 A4 pages of questions. You needed 80% to pass. You then had to have a police check to ensure you’d never been caught and the LTSA then had to approve your license. The P endorsement.

The license had to be renewed every five years although many chose renewal every year, mainly because of the cost.

Having that license (endorsement) you then could work for a authorised business.

If you wanted to own your own business you then had to sit more exams to gain a Passenger Service License at, of course, more expense.

You then took your shiny new PSL out into the world and purchased a vehicle.

Most I knew started with a used taxi, beaten up and very close to it’s use-by date. My first taxi (an imported 4 cylinder 1800 Camry) had about 250,000Kms on the clock. It had 350K when I sold it – to another cabbie.

If you decided to buy a new vehicle and set it up (quite often necessary due to the vehicle not remaining as pristine as the company demanded) on top of the coast of the vehicle you needed a sign-light, a metre (calibrated at CoF), cameras (Up to three depending on the vehicle) , a two-way radio and aerial. In many vehicles you also needed luggage racks and barriers.

Just setting up my last taxi (a 11 passenger van) cost me approx $10,000.

The CoF was every six months, company inspections at least as often and informal inspections daily.

In many companies drivers were also required to wear a uniform. I was a big, fat bastard and mine cost about $500. initially.

You then needed to buy a share in a taxi company (when I started anything from $10,000 to $35,000 depending on the company and subs in Christchurch, were normally in excess of $100. per week.

All that so you could go out every night with less than nothing and hopefully take enough to eat that week. As an example: With the van I needed to take just under $100. per day/night just to cover costs – those I mentioned plus fuel, RUC, maintenance and depreciation. You also had to earn enough to pay off any loan on the vehicle and/or save for the replacement you’d need in a few years time. In 17 years I wore out three vehicles and had started on no 4.

You then took the vehicle out where many members of the public tried desperately to damage it, after which you had to repair it.

Taxi drivers also have to deal with vomit and urine and the time spent not earning while those problems are fixed.

My share (the taxi number) in the company was at one stage worth, on paper, about $30,000.)

The Uber came in, publicly announcing that they would do none of the above. They would give anyone who asked an app for their ‘phone and let them go.

After a couple of rather nasty incidents the rules on “P” endorsement were tightened up but the company ignored New Zealand law and got away with it.

Two politicians in particular, Joyce and Bridges were terrified of being called racist because so many of the Uber scum were of brown skin, most hailing from the area encompased by the Sub-Continent across to North-East Africa (The area that celebrates theft and dishonesty as a honoured profession). So they ignored the honest, taxpaying New Zealand workers trying to feed their families and changed the law to accommodate the immigrant scum.

Bridges and Joyce gutlessness cost me approximately $100,000.

You may have got the impression I’m a bit bitter and twisted, still, over this.

I am!

I therefore applaud the Ocker decision and while it’s too late for me, hope it’s ramifications are felt this side of the Tasman forcing every Uber-driving scum and the disgusting business into bankrupcy.

May each and every one of the bastards die cold, starving, thirsty and very, very poor.