# Darwin, NT - Why no Uber now?



## Zeafer (Oct 4, 2017)

When Labor won the NT elections, they promised to bring ride-sharing to Darwin. Being a Government, they appointed a committee to investigate, then TRIPLED their recommended costs when implementing the new regulatory permits. At the time Uber proclaimed the startup costs for new drivers to be far too high, and promptly cancelled plans for the Darwin roll-out.

"(Uber spokesman) Mr Scott said the vehicle licence fee for Uber cars of $300 was too high." - ABC News

In Queensland, start-up (and ongoing!) costs for drivers are:
+ $75.00 : Medical examination for commercial drivers (at Uber, $200+ at other Doctors)
+ $145.60 : 1 year Booked hire/taxi driver authorisation (plus $42.45 for all new applications)
+ $197.50 : The new CTP Class 26 is $552.50, up from $355 for normal Class 1 cars
+ $237.26 : Booked hire service licence (per annum)
= $655.36

In addition, the (currently annual) Certificate Of Inspection cost is $81.40 - which is currently the ONLY up front cost paid for by Uber.

Uber says a vehicle fee of $300 is "too high" for them to even consider operating in NT (with no other ride-share competition), but are happy for QLD drivers to shell out more than double this amount.

Either the costs are too high, and Uber doesn't care about QLD drivers because they only care about market domination and will pass every possible cost on once established, or NT has been put into a "too hard" basket and it is just easier to blame the government.

UBER - QLD drivers are hurting. The recent rate increase still hasn't taken us back to 2015 levels, and we are still earning 60% less than NSW drivers with every trip.


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## MyRedUber (Dec 28, 2015)

Too small a market.
For Uber, not worth the effort of setting up and maintaining.


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## everythingsuber (Sep 29, 2015)

Uber is currently losing money at a rate today of 6 billion dollars a year it can no longer afford bonuses and subsidies. In Adelaide Uber has had to pay for drivers car inspections and police clearances to get enough drivers and still 85% of them stop driving within a month.

Uber is not an exciting opportunity for employment in the Territory the comment the 300 dollars cost is too much of a barrier for drivers is an admission the drivers earnings would be minimal.


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## Immoralized (Nov 7, 2017)

Here the fact and figures. 211,945 Population in Northern Territory.

Over 5 million population in Queensland. Darwin is a nothing burger and would just be a money sink.

Uber making excuses to not go in NT. It doesn't want to even if the NT government begged and pleaded and even offered uber money to setup it wouldn't. They did the math before when they were launching Australia wide it never made sense for them then it doesn't make sense now. Uber is not a charity.

Uber not going to touch Darwin with a million foot pole. Uber isn't even rolled out in every single city in the world either and it went into some countries and cities where they lost billions. Taxi were already cheap and competition for those pennies on the dollar cost uber. It not smart company it the blind leading the blind 

They are going to run out of money and flop over dead by 2020. Everyone in management going to retire with billions of dollars though.  It a good lesson for a lot of young business people that even with unlimited money you can still fail and you can't throw money at the problems because money doesn't solve anything. Having the support of the people and government in those cities and countries is what required first and foremost.

Hopefully they don't go bankrupt in 2018 because I still want to drive for another eight or nine months casually. Uber has no future.


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## offline4SURGE (Oct 9, 2016)

Why you want uber in NT now and then 3 months later cry about their rates and whinge on the UP forum.

Its most prolly from your pax side of things, I guess.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Zeafer said:


> When Labor won the NT elections, they promised to bring ride-sharing to Darwin. Being a Government, they appointed a committee to investigate, then TRIPLED their recommended costs when implementing the new regulatory permits. At the time Uber proclaimed the startup costs for new drivers to be far too high, and promptly cancelled plans for the Darwin roll-out.
> 
> "(Uber spokesman) Mr Scott said the vehicle licence fee for Uber cars of $300 was too high." - ABC News
> 
> ...


If you are so keen, run your own App


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## Ben Hall (Apr 15, 2016)

Zeafer said:


> Uber doesn't care


You are correct and just about everyone on this forum will agree


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## Immoralized (Nov 7, 2017)

Uber never cared  People didn't sign up to care bear club. You don't get discounted colouring books and playdough with uber or even any kind of discount for cuddling therapy


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## Idiocracy (Jan 13, 2018)

Immoralized said:


> Uber never cared  People didn't sign up to care bear club. You don't get discounted colouring books and playdough with uber or even any kind of discount for cuddling therapy


Uber sends drivers 'therapy' hits to maintain the dopamine every time you switch on the App. Your flippant (though humourous) equivalencies are ridiculous, and to me shows you don't know what's really been going on 'psychologically' and with intent and design. Becasue Uber sells itself and promotes itself (fraudulently I might add) as a care bear club, with discounted Uber colouring books, and Uber playdough and Uber's unique version of cuddling therapy and subtle sticks to beat drivers over the head with when you do no COMPLY ... it's so simple it should be obvious - but apparently it's not, given the numbers of drivers I have spoken to. A few 'get it' most do not.

search simply psychology org pavlov

woof! 



Zeafer said:


> When Labor won the NT elections, they promised to bring ride-sharing to Darwin.


Rule #1 - Rideshare is Rideshare. No Uber required.

Find a dozen drivers and start your own Rideshare Service in Darwin .... and follow the law and the various regs/rules, including ATO.

Make sure your 'Service Provision' and Invoices pass the ATO sniff test - because copying Uber's 'system' you're in quicksand very fast.

Therefore, do your own homework!

Step one: get a lawyer
Step two: get a CPA accountant
Step three: get good taxi drivers to join the 'company'
Step four: get finance line of credit and vehicle lease deals. 
Step five: get a decent NT pollie on your side

The App, c/c processing, and Advertising is shit easy and the least of your problems starting up.

The absolutely last thing anyone should do is to copy what Uber does and how it does it ..... it's a highway to certain hell.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Idiocracy said:


> Uber sends drivers 'therapy' hits to maintain the dopamine every time you switch on the App. Your flippant (though humourous) equivalencies are ridiculous, and to me shows you don't know what's really been going on 'psychologically' and with intent and design. Becasue Uber sells itself and promotes itself (fraudulently I might add) as a care bear club, with discounted Uber colouring books, and Uber playdough and Uber's unique version of cuddling therapy and subtle sticks to beat drivers over the head with when you do no COMPLY ... it's so simple it should be obvious - but apparently it's not, given the numbers of drivers I have spoken to. A few 'get it' most do not.
> 
> search simply psychology org pavlov
> 
> ...


"Rideshare" is the definition of a non-commercial ride service. Are you advocating going to all that trouble for no profit?


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## Idiocracy (Jan 13, 2018)

Sydney Uber said:


> "Rideshare" is the definition of a non-commercial ride service. Are you advocating going to all that trouble for no profit?


If the use of that term is confusing to you, then I sincerely apologise for not being clearer. (stripping urls, not allowed to post - you may search the following by copy/paste into a search engine )

*Products*
*Ridesharing with Uber: a safe, reliable and affordable transport option*

Under the point to point transport reforms taxi service providers and booking service providers (such as traditional hire cars and *rideshare*) have a primary duty of care to ensure the safety of their services.

Changes to fares for taxis, hire cars and *rideshare services* commencing 1 November 2017

However, in the fall of 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a cease and desist letter to *rideshare companies Lyft, Uber, Wingz, and Sidecar,* and fined each $20,000. In 2013 an agreement was reached reversing those actions, creating a new category of service called "Transportation Network Companies" to cover both real-time and scheduled* ride-sharing companies*. Transportation Network Companies have faced regulatory opposition in many other cities,

A NEW rideshare platform has launched in Sydney, claiming to be better for drivers and passengers than Uber and 4000 drivers have already signed up.

DriveMyCar is Australia's first and largest peer-to-peer car rental service. With access to vehicles from corporate fleets and automotive manufacturers, we'll help you get a better car for less money. *Featured Cars Available For Rideshare*

Ask about *RideShare Solutions* Rent to Own.

*(uber says) Rideshare insurance* Requirements
All cars driven by Australian ridesharing driver-partners must be:

Perhaps you and others may prefer the term "Passenger service" NSW, or "Personalised Transport" QLD? They both include what is commonly known as "Rideshare" aka what Uber is and provides globally.

Personally I prefer the term RIDESHARE which generically and universally and accurately describes what UBER, GoCatch, Lyft, and a multiplicity of other companies are and do, including individual "driver-partners" and individual independent drivers do 24/7/365.

eg The NSW Government's reforms to the point to point transport market give customers greater choice and flexibility by encouraging taxi and hire vehicle, tourist, rideshare and similar service providers to innovate to meet customer expectations.

Stay safe.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Idiocracy said:


> If the use of that term is confusing to you, then I sincerely apologise for not being clearer. (stripping urls, not allowed to post - you may search the following by copy/paste into a search engine )
> 
> *Products*
> *Ridesharing with Uber: a safe, reliable and affordable transport option*
> ...


This is where I'm laboured by the 22yrs in HCs & and 9yrs in Cabs before that.

There I go again! Using a redundant term here in NSW. (Not sure if it's the same in paradise). As far as the new Transport Act, there is no such thing as Rideshare or Hire Cars any longer in the Act. We are all the same - Private Hire Point to Point Vehicles.

Why this new designation has developed is because of the bastardisation of the term "Rideshare" by Uber.

Ever since I've been using Rideshare back in the 80s, the driver made seats available in a car, advertised a time of travel, where from and to. The driver sets a cost per seat which needed to reflect the shared costs of the ride. Not a profit making enterprise that competed with Taxis. The reason why Uber isn't establishing in NT is they will find it near to impossible to ever run at a profit.

Here are some examples of true Rideshare

www.coseats.com.au
http://www.shareurride.com.au/
https://m.hophopride.com.au/
http://buckleupapp.com
https://sydney.craigslist.com.au/d/rideshare/search/rid?lang=en&cc=us

Uber has ALWAYS been a Taxi service, with a customer facing App, utilising Privatly owned vehicles without onerous taxi license fees. This allowed Uber to scale up very quickly without huge vehicle fleet costs.

Uber took on a lazy and undeserving Taxi industry monopoly, whilst catching State regulators napping with their illegal startup business model. By the time States started to move on Uber, they were tapped on the shoulder by the Federal Government to lay off Uber, pass new legislation to bring Uber and their App based taxi service into the legitimate personal transport mix.

Uber were NEVER going to allowed to fail by the Australian Federal Government. Not after our Taxpayer dollars have been invested heavily into Uber some time ago. Uber has single-handedly migrated a significant cash, black market transport industry into the hands of an inept ATO through cashless, traceable transactions.

I should've Welcomed you aboard! I note you've only been a member here a day. Methinks with such an impressive 1st post of yours you have an extensive Uber history - do tell!


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## Idiocracy (Jan 13, 2018)

Sydney Uber said:


> Uber were NEVER going to allowed to fail by the Australian Federal Government. Not after our Taxpayer dollars have been invested heavily into Uber some time ago. Uber has single-handedly migrated a significant cash, black market transport industry into the hands of an inept ATO through cashless, traceable transactions.


Indeed. And the process the state govts have cooperated by forcing Rasier-Pacific to become a "resident company" which is required to now be registered for GST under the Law where before it and therefore "Uber" were not... and open to fines and court actions for any breaches of transportation and taxation and directors regs (to an extent).

More than that when the foreign donations ban eventually happens the majors will be able to seek/accept donations from all these other "rideshare" transportation operators, oooops, I mean global technology companies, as well as CabCharge and the all the rest these last several decades as the "industry" became what it has become today. Cake, eat, have it. Startup funding provided by tens of thousands of "uber drivers" who predominantly never make a profit while they "trash" the value of their car asset or worse.

Meanwhile some Uber drivers are already complaining about "over-servicing" or drivers from afar working in "their territory" ..... wondering why was the taxi industry so regulated limiting "entrants" in the first place 100+ years ago now. It's a strange world alright.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Idiocracy said:


> Indeed. And the process the state govts have cooperated by forcing Rasier-Pacific to become a "resident company" which is required to now be registered for GST under the Law where before it and therefore "Uber" were not... and open to fines and court actions for any breaches of transportation and taxation and directors regs (to an extent).
> 
> More than that when the foreign donations ban eventually happens the majors will be able to seek/accept donations from all these other "rideshare" transportation operators, oooops, I mean global technology companies, as well as CabCharge and the all the rest these last several decades as the "industry" became what it has become today. Cake, eat, have it. Startup funding provided by tens of thousands of "uber drivers" who predominantly never make a profit while they "trash" the value of their car asset or worse.
> 
> Meanwhile some Uber drivers are already complaining about "over-servicing" or drivers from afar working in "their territory" ..... wondering why was the taxi industry so regulated limiting "entrants" in the first place 100+ years ago now. It's a strange world alright.


Good ol' Cabcharge! When they appointed Neville Wran 20 odd years ago to their board, I was gob-smacked. When Alan Fels announced he was on the Uber Teat, I thought "well, Uber's gone and trumped the Taxi Industry in overt corruption.

Yes the transferring of asset value to UBER by millions of private car owners around the world as they are written up as "Partners" to Uber. This a major part of what underwrites Uber's paper valuation, "Partners" bringing capital into Uber's business model in the form of vehicles.

Yes your last point hits the mark. How thin can the transport cake be cut before fleet size restrictions are imposed on UBER.?


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