# Uber drivers working for 'less than the minimum wage' - 9news



## BabyBoomer (Feb 28, 2017)

Uber drivers working for 'less than the minimum wage' - 9news.com.au
https://apple.news/ASqaB8oFiTUWGV6iR4w2WwA
https://apple.news/ASqaB8oFiTUWGV6iR4w2WwA










I'm not anti-Uber. Uber's technology has improved efficiency in the transportation business, but it should not be at the expense of driver-slaves. At least an average minimum wage would mean that drivers can survive. Surely that is fair for providing a vehicle in addition to safely transporting passengers to their destinations, with all the other hazards that can be encountered (accidents, abuse, violence, heavy handed police).

Oh ...and by the way ...please stop charging commission on GST you thieving bastards -that is the tax office's money (and you both know it).

That would be good thanks .

Cheers,

BB


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

BabyBoomer said:


> Uber drivers working for 'less than the minimum wage' - 9news.com.au
> https://apple.news/ASqaB8oFiTUWGV6iR4w2WwA
> https://apple.news/ASqaB8oFiTUWGV6iR4w2WwA
> 
> ...


Uber should be cheaper. Seeing that taxis charge just double what uber charges, but taxis have to put up with magnitude of expenses not levelled on uber


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## BabyBoomer (Feb 28, 2017)

You gentlemen in the taxi industry are being too harsh on yourselves. In light of your increased costs you should be charging twice as much as you do considering your outstanding service. That shouldn't be too hard to achieve ...I met a lady who had taken a cab from the airport and apparently she still had some small change left in her wallet (heard her mutter "those thieving scoundrels" -but no reference to the taxi industry I'm sure).

Some of the other increased costs taxis probably incur may also be the medical bills from RSI symptoms as a result of incessantly flashing headlights at Uber drivers going about their lawful business, or the additional tyre wear encountered by cabs as you swerve violently in front of Uber drivers (no doubt in your haste to teach them a lesson for interfering in your long-held monopoly). Still further costs could be the amount of fuel you burn up waiting hours in your ridiculously long queues to pick up drunken victims in the night club precincts of Australia or at the airports.

The rideshare vs taxi debate has moved on my friend ...your moniker was accurate years ago -might think about keeping up with the times.

You might like to research "the gale of destructive innovation" (Creative destruction, sometimes known as Schumpeter's gale, is a concept in economics which since the 1950s has become most readily identified with the Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter...).

If I was the taxi industry, I would have launched a class action lawsuit against the various governments for unilaterally altering the terms of your exclusive taxi licenses -but that ship might have sailed.

I also must commend you on your skillful trolling of this rideshare thread and the silken way you mentioned that taxis charge *double* the amount that Uber charges, as though this is insignificant to riders. You guys still have a monopoly over kerbside pickups ...but from the outraged comments I've heard from passengers, it may be time for your industry to make your passengers feel a little more special to justify paying double the price.

No offense to taxi drivers -you guys are trying to earn a living too -but that's the reality.

Cheers,

BB


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## Icecool (Feb 8, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> Uber should be cheaper. Seeing that taxis charge just double what uber charges, but taxis have to put up with magnitude of expenses not levelled on uber


But uber drivers have to declaring every dollar for tax while the taxis can hide the cash taking to avoid paying taxes .


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## χ²(1) (Jun 1, 2016)

Icecool said:


> But uber drivers have to declaring every dollar for tax while the taxis can hide the cash taking to avoid paying taxes .


So what is your suggestion to make it fair?


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## Icecool (Feb 8, 2016)

χ²(1) said:


> So what is your suggestion to make it fair?


It pretty easy really . No more cash . Make every pax use an opal taxi card just like the buses . All fares are Record as soon the taxi driver is log in . The repot are sent to the tax office just like payg summary at the end of the year .


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## fields (Jul 11, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> Uber should be cheaper. Seeing that taxis charge just double what uber charges, but taxis have to put up with magnitude of expenses not levelled on uber


Not true! If you take into account Uber's commission and taxis being driven 24 hours a day, Uber drivers have more expenses than taxis.

Lets not even talk about the tax and GST evasion rampant amongst taxi drivers. If you were to factor that in, Uber should be at least 30% more expensive than taxis.


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

BabyBoomer said:


> I met a lady who had taken a cab from the airport and apparently she still had some small change left in her wallet (heard her mutter "those thieving scoundrels" -but no reference to the taxi industry I'm sure).


I had a lady passenger too heard her mutter "lucky I am not in an uber, I won't get sexually assaulted today"



BabyBoomer said:


> Some of the other increased costs taxis probably incur may also be the medical bills from RSI symptoms as a result of incessantly flashing headlights at Uber drivers going about their lawful business, or the additional tyre wear encountered by cabs as you swerve violently in front of Uber drivers (no doubt in your haste to teach them a lesson for interfering in your long-held monopoly).


Delusional are we?



BabyBoomer said:


> The rideshare vs taxi debate has moved on my friend ...your moniker was accurate years ago -might think about keeping up with the times.


Website does not allow to change the moniker.



BabyBoomer said:


> I also must commend you on your skillful trolling of this rideshare thread and the silken way you mentioned that taxis charge *double* the amount that Uber charges, as though this is insignificant to riders. You guys still have a monopoly over kerbside pickups ...but from the outraged comments I've heard from passengers


At least don't price gouge during a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. Oh wait uber doesn't need those conditions to price gouge. They do it at will and call it surge pricing.



BabyBoomer said:


> No offense to taxi drivers -you guys are trying to earn a living too -but that's the reality


I don't take offense while engaging in meaningful debate.



Icecool said:


> It pretty easy really . No more cash . Make every pax use an opal taxi card just like the buses . All fares are Record as soon the taxi driver is log in . The repot are sent to the tax office just like payg summary at the end of the year .


All fares are recorded already and arenkept for 7 years. And tax office regularly, randomly audits taxi drivers.



fields said:


> Not true! If you take into account Uber's commission and taxis being driven 24 hours a day, Uber drivers have more expenses than taxis.
> 
> Lets not even talk about the tax and GST evasion rampant amongst taxi drivers. If you were to factor that in, Uber should be at least 30% more expensive than taxis.


Tax evading cabbies get caught regularly. There are check and balances and formulas already applied by ATO for the purpose.

I think uber should be atlesst another 30% cheaper than current rate. After all you are ride sharing. Not ride profiting ;-)


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## fields (Jul 11, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> I think uber should be atlesst another 30% cheaper than current rate. After all you are ride sharing. Not ride profiting ;-)


If we were doing ride sharing, we would not have to pay GST from the first dollar. You taxi aficionados can't have it both ways.

Starting February 1, I will be paying $500-$700 a month towards compensation for tax dodging taxi drivers. Yet you want us to drop fares by another 30%????


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## Icecool (Feb 8, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> I had a lady passenger too heard her mutter "lucky I am not in an uber, I won't get sexually assaulted today"
> 
> Delusional are we?
> 
> ...


You get alot taxis driver gets assaulted more than uber . Why don't you mention that . At least with uber we know who it is not like taxi who pick up random people on the street . 
Not true the ato can't really check the taxi drivers earning . Most of them declare income so low that they get centrelink payment . How all fare are recored even if all are record there no obligation for you to report the exact fare as you report according to your words and not by a report coming out of the fare computer


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

fields said:


> If we were doing ride sharing, we would not have to pay GST from the first dollar. You taxi aficionados can't have it both ways.
> 
> Starting February 1, I will be paying $500-$700 a month towards compensation for tax dodging taxi drivers. Yet you want us to drop fares by another 30%????


You are confusing two different LAWS. You are a taxi service for tax purposes. Just like non citizens are treated as citizens for tax purposes.

You are still ride sharing for state government and general public. Have you forgotten the pitch about earning money while giving lift to strangers travelling the same way as you. How ride sharing was going to solve pollution and grid lock problems. So yeah uber should cut rates by another 30%



Icecool said:


> You get alot taxis driver gets assaulted more than uber . Why don't you mention that . At least with uber we know who it is not like taxi who pick up random people on the street .
> Not true the ato can't really check the taxi drivers earning . Most of them declare income so low that they get centrelink payment . How all fare are recored even if all are record there no obligation for you to report the exact fare as you report according to your words and not by a report coming out of the fare computer


I do not know what era you are living in. But taxi meters nowadays are. integrated with taxi dispatch. The meter sends fare details to taxi dispatch computer after conclusion of each trip. Those details are stored in a cloud database system for next seven years.

ATO can and does use these records to prosecute tax dodgers regularly


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> I do not know what era you are living in. But taxi meters nowadays are. integrated with taxi dispatch. The meter sends fare details to taxi dispatch computer after conclusion of each trip. Those details are stored in a cloud database system for next seven years.
> 
> ATO can and does use these records to prosecute tax dodgers regularly


I understand that some (or many) taxi drivers do rank and hail work with the meter off for cash fares agreed with the passenger.

I also understand that some (or many) rideshare drivers do something similar.


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## fields (Jul 11, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> You are confusing two different LAWS. You are a taxi service for tax purposes. Just like non citizens are treated as citizens for tax purposes.
> 
> You are still ride sharing for state government and general public. Have you forgotten the pitch about earning money while giving lift to strangers travelling the same way as you. How ride sharing was going to solve pollution and grid lock problems. So yeah uber should cut rates by another 30%


You still haven't answered as to why I should be paying taxis $500-$700 a month as from the 1st of February. If someone was paying me that kind of money, I would at least be grateful.


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

fields said:


> You still haven't answered as to why I should be paying taxis $500-$700 a month as from the 1st of February. If someone was paying me that kind of money, I would at least be grateful.


You are paying that money to the government. Why are you paying that money to the government?

Because government, by the power vested init by the people can extort money from anyone they seem fit. For example how governments around Australia extorted 100's k for a piece of paper called a taxi service license


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## fields (Jul 11, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> You are paying that money to the government. Why are you paying that money to the government?
> 
> Because government, by the power vested init by the people can extort money from anyone they seem fit. For example how governments around Australia extorted 100's k for a piece of paper called a taxi service license


In return for that piece of paper you were given the right to take street hails, use bus lanes and receive priority at airports and large events like at racecourses.

If we assume a taxi license to be worth around $150,000 and you were to finance it at 5%, it would cost you $7,500 in interest. Twelve months of me Ubering paying $600 a month sets me back $7,200 a year and I receive absolutely nothing in return for it.


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## Icecool (Feb 8, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> You are confusing two different LAWS. You are a taxi service for tax purposes. Just like non citizens are treated as citizens for tax purposes.
> 
> You are still ride sharing for state government and general public. Have you forgotten the pitch about earning money while giving lift to strangers travelling the same way as you. How ride sharing was going to solve pollution and grid lock problems. So yeah uber should cut rates by another 30%
> 
> ...


If what you saying is correct then uber drivers shouldn't have to pay gst if uber driver earning below $75k . As we're not a tax services only share rides Who said uber was going to solve the pollution problems . Uber aim was have less cars on the road less car less polution .
I don't know wheathef you're saying about the metre is true or not but the record can be manipulated by the driver without recording the fare . If all tax drivers are forced to pay back all the taxes they owe . they all are going to be bankrupt.



UberX.illegal? said:


> You are paying that money to the government. Why are you paying that money to the government?
> 
> Because government, by the power vested init by the people can extort money from anyone they seem fit. For example how governments around Australia extorted 100's k for a piece of paper called a taxi service license


But the taxi plate you can sell it to other people and get the money back or even a profit


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

fields said:


> In return for that piece of paper you were given the right to take street hails, use bus lanes and receive priority at airports and large events like at racecourses.
> 
> If we assume a taxi license to be worth around $150,000 and you were to finance it at 5%, it would cost you $7,500 in interest. Twelve months of me Ubering paying $600 a month sets me back $7,200 a year and I receive absolutely nothing in return for it.


You got to run livery services without buying that piece of paper.


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## prk (Jul 9, 2015)

BabyBoomer said:


> Uber drivers working for 'less than the minimum wage' - 9news.com.au


that's not news.
they've been doin that since day dot.


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

Icecool said:


> If what you saying is correct then uber drivers shouldn't have to pay gst if uber driver earning below $75k . As we're not a tax services only share rides Who said uber was going to solve the pollution problems . Uber aim was have less cars on the road less car less polution .
> I don't know wheathef you're saying about the metre is true or not but the record can be manipulated by the driver without recording the fare . If all tax drivers are forced to pay back all the taxes they owe . they all are going to be bankrupt.


You are a TAXI SERVICE for tax purposes. You are not a taxi for ranking purposes. Two different laws.

Okay ubers aim was to reduce cars on the road and thus reduce pollution and congestion. But uber has the opposite effect in every city it operates in. For example in Brisbane it was relatively easy to drive in the valley on Friday and Saturday night, but since uber started operating it's a total s*it fight driving in the valley. Why? Because every tom dick and harry drives for uber.

Yes, taxi drivers can manipulate the system by not running the meter.
Uber drivers also manipulate the system by doing cash jobs



Icecool said:


> But the taxi plate you can sell it to other people and get the money back or even a profit


Yes you can sell them at a massive loss.


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## Bluey (Aug 3, 2017)

UberX.illegal? said:


> Yes, taxi drivers can manipulate the system by not running the meter.
> Uber drivers also manipulate the system by doing cash jobs


Yes they can both manipulate the system but it's a lot harder to do a cashie on a booking. A hail isn't on the computer until you start the meter. A few years ago before uber started ,my son was coming from the valley to Sunnybank and the cabbie charged him $100. Upfront. He refused to run the meter ( it would have cost $50 Max)and the rank supervisor told him that's the deal. I'm sure that $100 didn't go onto his takings for tax, straight into his pocket. That's out right robbery. With uber you could almost go to the Gold Coast for $100. I feel for the people that have bought a license in the last 5 years, but the taxi industry has been ripping the public off for far too long.


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## Icecool (Feb 8, 2016)

UberX.illegal? said:


> You are a TAXI SERVICE for tax purposes. You are not a taxi for ranking purposes. Two different laws.
> 
> Okay ubers aim was to reduce cars on the road and thus reduce pollution and congestion. But uber has the opposite effect in every city it operates in. For example in Brisbane it was relatively easy to drive in the valley on Friday and Saturday night, but since uber started operating it's a total s*it fight driving in the valley. Why? Because every tom &%[email protected]!* and harry drives for uber.
> 
> ...


I don't think any uber drivers is doing cash job . As All the fares are coming from the uber app . Tell us how uber driver get cash job s . If any uber drivers get caught doing cash it's instant deactivation unlike taxis .they also risk of not getting insure for the cash jobs .Let me ask you a question so when a taxi driver is doing his tax or gst . Do they actually get a written report from your central computer listing all the fare they did and goes of it . With uber all our fares and information are send to the tax offices .So the tax offices know our earnings. Unlike the taxis your information are not send to the tax offices . I understand that you will have a records for the booking job but many of the taxis jobs are from hailing anyway off the street unlike uber all jobs are from the app . If you look carefully in the city cbd most of the cars running around are taxis looking for pax . The taxis just stop anywhere . Anytime blocking the traffic as with uber most of the parking are trains to be pick up in parking location . Uber cars don't need to drive around or park in in the taxi zone to look for pax . Imagine the taxi are gone . The road wider without the zones . The road are easier without The taxis stopping to pick pax . No car will be driving around looking for pax
The taxi licence or plates is not an expense but an investments just like any other businesses there no guarantee you get you'll get your money or you'll make a profit it's a risk you have to take . You did said uber is like a charity's organisation well charity organisations dont pay taxes . So should uber driver should be tax exempt since we're are running like a running a charity.


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## UberX.illegal? (Nov 12, 2014)

Bluey said:


> With uber you could almost go to the Gold Coast for $100.


You can almost go to gold coast for $100 is the reason why uber drivers are whining about making minimum wage. And that's. Why they are up in arms about even paying peanuts in cost to run a business.


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## fields (Jul 11, 2016)

When I first started driving X, some 18 months ago, pax used to regularly say how cheap Uber was. You rarely if ever hear that these days, in fact its more the opposite. People have become used to the Uber price structure and don't want to pay more. You only have to see what happens during a surge, bookings dry up as people start hailing cabs. They really begrudge us the extra money.

Maybe nine news should have mentioned the above in its article.


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## fields (Jul 11, 2016)

Ben Hall said:


> Whilst it is an investment there is a lot more regulation and cost involved in operating a taxi.


There is zero regulation or costs involved with the purchase of a taxi license. Regulations and costs are borne by the taxi operator and driver. Yet its only the taxi license holders who will receive compensation, exactly the ones least deserving.

.


Ben Hall said:


> I believe that the NSW government like others sets the maximum price taxi fares, but Uber prices rise and fall with demand and supply.
> Unlike taxis there is no cap on the number of rideshare cars available.


This was indeed the case. However, from November 1, taxis can charge whatever they like for bookings. No different at all from Uber. Only hails are subject to a maximum fare.



Ben Hall said:


> If you think there are too many uber partners now, imagine what it would be like if they increased rates. More drivers would sign up and there may be less rides from pax.
> 
> Dont you love the free market.


You are spot on! A catch 22 situation which cannot be solved.


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## Ben Hall (Apr 15, 2016)

fields said:


> There is zero regulation or costs involved with the purchase of a taxi license. Regulations and costs are borne by the taxi operator and driver. Yet its only the taxi license holders who will receive compensation, exactly the ones least deserving.


So the tamperproof trackers and tamperproof cameras are free? or are they part of the cost and regulation of a taxi licence.


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## UberDriverAU (Nov 4, 2015)

Ben Hall said:


> So the tamperproof trackers and tamperproof cameras are free? or are they part of the cost and regulation of a taxi licence.


He never said they are free, he's said such costs aren't borne by taxi licence holders. You believe that they are?


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## Bluey (Aug 3, 2017)

UberX.illegal? said:


> You can almost go to gold coast for $100 is the reason why uber drivers are whining about making minimum wage. And that's. Why they are up in arms about even paying peanuts in cost to run a business.


Fair point. But working on $100 from valley to Sunnybank, it would cost you $800+ to go to the coast in a rip off cab.
The point we were discussing was it's a lot easier for a taxi to do cash work and not disclose it in your earnings.


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