It’s not every day as a frazzled mum juggling work and life, you feel like James Bond.
But last week I did.
As my train was pulling into Newcastle station, I opened a text message from my work.
All I had to do was click on it and a pre-paid car would arrive to whisk me to my filming location.
Surely it couldn’t be that easy.
“Your car is two minutes away” came the message and by the time I got to the front door, a shiny silver car with black leather seats awaited.
The driver already knew my destination due to the pre-booking and off he zoomed.
When he asked if I was having a good day, I felt like replying ‘Yesh thank you,’ in the inimitable manner of Sean Connery.
Welcome to the world of Uber.
Of course, Dundee will experience the global taxi’s arrival, expected at some point this year, following councillors’ approval of a licence application to operate in the city.
Until experiencing Uber multiple times, but particularly during my Newcastle experience with magic links, I wasn’t altogether for the service coming to our city.
For a night out ending with cries of “call 20-30-20” (or whatever your favoured Dundee cab number) has been the way for many years – nay decades – and the nostalgia and loyalty attached runs deep.
Such is the need for dialogue and actual human contact when you live in the middle of fields and the driver picking you up is lost, I know Tele Taxis operators by name and am rather fond of a lasting, good-humoured relationship.
There are fears among Dundonains, and particularly taxi drivers, that Uber will set up then dominate Dundee, as it has in other cities.
We can only hope there are plans in place for that not to happen. And that residents of Dundee can benefit from the company offering employment.
At the same time, we shouldn’t be left behind.
A visitor to Dundee most likely will have the Uber app on their phone. They get off a plane or train and bingo, a car arrives. Uber facilitates ease of travel.
If Dundee wants to keep flying high, it must not just keep up but lead the way and the truth is, we’re one of the last cities to adopt Uber.
I didn’t have the Uber app until last summer on a family holiday in Croatia. The receptionist told me she could provide a hotel car to take us to the local village – or I could order one on Uber for half the cost.
An instant taxi in Croatia? Surely (again) it couldn’t be that easy.
And yet, downloading was quick – and it took five minutes to provide my bank details which are stored so your fare is always paid as you’re driven. The nearest car was nine minutes away and my flabber was gasted.
Back to Newcastle last week. The following morning, I used the pre-paid link method again, with my work office already having given the destination.
It was up to me to choose when to ask for it. And there my driver was, five minutes earlier than expected.
The only problem was I hadn’t had a morning coffee and boy do I need a morning coffee, not least when presenting first thing.
“Not a problem,” he told me.
“There’s a Costa machine in a hospital on the way” and once more I felt very spoiled and lucky to start my day so easily.
Uber could be good for Dundee
That’s another thing about Uber – the fares are reasonable and passengers have the option not only to tap a button on the app to leave a tip amount of your choosing depending on your experience, but to rate the driver.
Yet for every reason to want Uber in town, there’s almost always another to keep our traditional cabs in place too.
Not everyone has a mobile phone – and many more seasoned Dundonians struggle with technology. Actually, some simply opt not to embrace it – and more power to them.
They want and need to call a number, speak to a person, order a car and pay in cash. That service is vitally important and ridding of it would alienate them.
The existing state of cabs in Dundee is hard at times to gauge. It’s a question I always ask a driver – how things are for them, particularly after the hardship of lockdown.
Some say business is flying; others that there are too many drivers and taxis on the road for them to make a living easily.
I do know there is a shortage of five-seater cars in our city because I need one to take the whole family and there are but a few on the road, which usually can’t be pre-booked.
Uber, at least in other cities where I’ve used it, allows you to select the size of car and even whether it’s electric.
Much about how Uber will work in Dundee is still to be ironed out. We – the residents – should be kept posted at every step. For knowledge takes away the fear of the unknown.
Uber is not perfect – I’ve had a great experience but historically, some have not. Yet increasingly it is becoming more polished in its service.
It may be future – but I won’t be alone in only wanting to embrace it if there is room for our traditional taxi companies to continue.
Though, move on we must and as they say, time waits for no man. And a quick cab is always a good thing.
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