Uber has begun taking bookings in Inverness and Elgin despite not having a licence or announcing its arrival, it has emerged.
The San Francisco-based organisation’s protracted roll-out in Aberdeen has been delayed following a court case.
Now, despite the issues there, it has emerged the operator’s app is already accepting bookings for Ubers in both Inverness and Elgin.
The Press and Journal booked a trip and investigated what is happening with the app-based private hire firm in the Moray and Highland capitals.
How much would Uber cost in Inverness and Elgin?
Uber says it can provide a cheaper alternative to taxis, but critics say the firm takes advantage of surge pricing that can vastly inflate the cost at busy times.
The Press and Journal got a quote from Uber for three journeys from Elgin and three from Inverness.
For Elgin, we set the Dandy Lion as the beginning of our journeys and were quoted the following prices for trips for up to four passengers on a midweek afternoon:
- Tolbooth on Forres High Street – £19.93
- Strathisla Distillery in Keith – £26.90
- Lossiemouth’s East Beach – £10.94
In comparison, a Moray taxi operator is quoting the following prices from Elgin:
- Forres – £34
- Keith – £45
- Lossiemouth – £17
For Inverness, we booked out trips from the railway station in the city centre and got the following quotes from Uber for a midweek afternoon.
- Inverness Airport – £15.97
- Drumnadrochit – £24.92
- Raigmore hospital – £5.93
In comparison, a Highland taxi operator is quoting the following prices:
- Raigmore – £9.20
- Inverness Airport – £27.40
- Drumnadrochit – £41
What happened when we booked Uber in Elgin?
I decided to book an Uber in Elgin to see what actually happened.
Would my booking be rejected? Would a driver turn up to pick me up?
For this journey I decided to take a trip that a tourist may take in Elgin, so I booked it from the cathedral to Glen Moray distillery.
We were quoted £4.68 for the trip and were told the driver would be with me in about 10 minutes.
I confirmed I would be waiting at the visitor’s entrance to the cathedral.
With my debit card details already saved in the app I got a message saying “confirming your Uber trip”.
A few seconds later the screen changed to say “ride requested, locating your driver”.
At about this time I got a notification from my online banking app telling me that a pending charge of £4.68 from Uber had been added to my account.
And then… nothing.
The app scrolled through several screens telling me it was “finalising driver details”, telling me the ride had been requested and thanking me for my patience waiting.
After about eight minutes of waiting outside the cathedral I got the message: “Sorry, there are no drivers available. Please try again in a moment or request a different trip.”
The pending charge from Uber on my bank account then disappeared so I wasn’t left out of pocket.
It looks like, for now at least, passengers will have to stick to other options like the local “Uber-style” m.connect bus.
Uber accepting Elgin and Inverness bookings – but not Aberdeen
The experience of trying to book an Uber in Elgin and Inverness is vastly different from Aberdeen, where the firm has already been granted a licence to operate.
If you attempt to book a ride in the Granite City at the moment you are immediately met with a message reading “no rides nearby”.
No prices for trips are quoted, it’s not possible to confirm a booking and you cannot get anywhere near the point where a charge is added to your bank card.
What are the rules surrounding Uber operating?
Uber operates as a private hire company with bookings taken via its online app.
It is not a taxi firm, meaning its private hire drivers cannot pick up at ranks or from people hailing in the street. They are restricted to pre-booked trips on the app.
However, it needs a licence from local councils to operate legally.
Aberdeen City Council has already granted Uber a licence with its arrival initially expected in August.
However, that has been delayed following a court challenge from Unite Union.
Drivers can receive fixed penalties of up to £1,000 for taking fares without a licence, which is legally known as “plying for hire”.
In extreme cases drivers can be taken to court where fines can increase to £2,500 with driving bans and penalty points also a possibility.
Highland Council told the Press and Journal it has not received an application from Uber to operate in the region.
Moray Council’s licensing website shows no record of any application from Uber.
What is Uber saying?
The Press and Journal contacted Uber to ask the Californian tech giant the following questions.
- Does Uber already operate with drivers in Elgin and Inverness?
- Is Uber considering operating in Moray and the Highlands?
- Is Uber offering bookings in Inverness and Elgin to test demand?
- Is there a software glitch allowing bookings to be taken in Inverness and Elgin?
Despite repeated requests for Uber to comment, the firm did not respond.
Read more from Elgin and Inverness
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- Track how full Elgin town centre is with our empty unit tracker
- Why are Inverness ScotRail passengers charged more than DOUBLE for fares compared to the Central Belt?
- A new vision: SIX big improvements that could change the face of Inverness
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