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I am an Uber driver since early 2013, working in London since 2011 in this business. I made this forum for all the Uber drivers who need new information and useful ideas for this business. I do believe that knowing each other and sharing information can bring us many benefits. Any ideas and pieces of advice regarding the website are welcomed I want this to be like a big community, where we join and meet each other in the virtual environment. !!! TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG !!!

With the Gibooli app and website you can make money collecting and delivering things for people who will pay you to do this. At the following link, there are some multiple choice questions for you to fill and in return we will hold three cash prize draws worth £100 each for those who will fill all the questions. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C5DSKQS Note: As a UK based company we are regulated by the UK Data Protection Act. Any information you provide will be treated as confidential.

This is unbelievable, what a master plan from Uber. All this licence show was actually a distraction fromt he main point, which is the driverless legal ground . Now they have it, UBer can bring it on UK roads without a problem. In 6-7 years almost everything will be gone, they will snap 50% of the market in the first year, special the UBerX market. Mr Hammond is due to announce regulation changes in Wednesday's Budget which will allow developers to apply to test driverless vehicles on UK roads. Asked about the potential loss of jobs for drivers, he said the country could not "hide from change" and the government had to equip people with the skills "to take up new careers". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42040856

Sometimes riders might give their trip a low rating for reasons beyond your control – such as an issue with the app. Previously, these ratings would have counted towards your overall rating, even if they weren’t a reflection of your service. Now, these ratings won’t count towards your score. Uber will still get the feedback to help us improve but it won’t impact your overall rating. GUESS WHAT, the rating from different minorities background will still be low!!! I am curious about this change if we can feel it?

what if all those 40k drivers share £2 each and we can build our own app? what if?

For those who went to school here, some info to compare your existing certificate with the Cambridge English exam B1 which is required by TFL: All GCSE English certificate is more than enough basically !!!

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan recently announced a £10 toxicity charge for the oldest and most-polluting cars in the city, which will become effective in October 2017. If your car is older than a 55 plate, you’ll have to pay the T-charge. As no PCO car can be more than 10 years old, the T-charge does not affect any current PCO car. If your diesel car registration is one of the following, you’re ok! 65 16 66 17 Are you driving a diesel PCO car older than a 65 plate? Then maybe it’s time to change it if you have long term plans ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone): London’s air quality has reduced significantly in recent years and the ULEZ is a way to further reduce the most harmful emissions generated by road transport in central London and across the Capital. From 2020, all PHVs travelling in the ULEZ zone must meet certain emissions standards to drive in the zone or will have to pay £12.50 per day charge: To avoid paying a charge from 2020: Diesel cars must be Euro 6. 65/15/66/17 plate PCO cars will not be affected. Make sure you finish your finance until 2020 if you dont want to do this job any-more

call this taxi insurance broker in bimringham its is a good and cheap insurance quote will give you. Website link: http://www.2insure.co.uk/ Cheers Sheher yar

I keep hearing people complaining about Uber but in the same time everybody is waiting for car upgrade, class upgrade, everyone has plans....people queuing to be be on uber platform. - Do you think if your work in the office from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday is it going to be better???? To be at 9am at work you heave to leave the house by 8, wake up by 7. Leave work at 5, getting home by 7pm......so in total 12 hours of your time x5 days = 60 hours for an average £2000/month if you are lucky ( do you think you can afford to pay for your car, diesel and insurance from those £2000???? ) Ok, you have social life after 7pm and in weekends some will say but you can have that with uber as well if your efficient. - Working for uber 60 hours a week, will generate you £1000 week that is £4000/month, and you can have social life if you are not greedy..... Working or not for UBer , you still need a car, insurance, fuel...at least Uber will pay for it, be grateful in life You should try the odour at rush-time in the bus or underground, next when you press the AC button inside your car think about..... STOP COMPLAINING, dont like it then change it but You like it

Yes, but what i am saying is , from those £4000 your profit is around £2000, less than 50% after commission increased total 4000 uber commission 25% -1000 before 20% -800 petrol -500 car wash -50 insurance -200 car value depreciation -200 car parts wearing -100 profit £1950 before £2150 What do you say LUED???

Finally a good news!!! Drivers will be given a 10 minutes' grace period after a parking ticket runs out before they can be fined. The concession will apply to all on-street and off-street council parking spots in England under changes to the law. Ministers claim the new rule, which will come into effect within weeks, will "end the war on drivers." It will apply to cars parked in a pay-and-display bays or other spaces with time limits. Other measures under the Deregulation Bill include a ban on CCTV camera cars that automatically issue parking fines, except in sensitive areas such as near schools and in bus lanes. Residents and local firms will also be given the right to demand their council reviews parking in their area. http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/drivers-to-be-given-10-minutes-grace-period-for-parking-tickets-before-they-can-be-fined-10089817.html

I went there to hear about the £5000 grant when guess what ,there is no grant atm just "special offers" for drivers to rent electric cars from Weflex or pcorentals. They say Uber is working to increase the number of fast charging points for drivers to make them switch for electric cars, or is it for the future driverless fleet?

Prefer no rights with flexbility to work when and where you want. With rights, you're probably expected to work fixed, set shifts, and accept every job, including pool otherwise you'll be in breach of contract/agreement. You'll also be expected to wait in certain areas and you may not be paid to drive to the first pick up of your shift, and going home after last drop off (similar to working in any other job, i.e. office, Tesco, etc., they don't usually pay your commuting time).

https://citizen.co.za/lifestyle/your-life-technology/1688473/britain-us-transport-taxi-uber-drivers/ Some say is good, others they want more because they can do it! Quality versus quantity!

Tesla 3 will be the best in my opinion, we need to wait for it unilt 2018. with 5k from uber and another 5k from the government we should be able to get for around 20k which is not bad for a full electric brand new car. The range is around 200 miles !

They pay £500 for new drivers and people still think it will be banned just 2 facts: 1-London – June 11, 2015 – TfL Pension Fund ('The Fund') has appointed BlackRock to manage liability-driven investing (LDI) and passive equity portfolios totaling £3.8bn assets. 2-By rum coincidence, Blackrock invested a reported £124 million in Uber in 2014, giving it a stake which is now worth nearly £500 million Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4347676/David-Cameron-s-chum-ocracy-links-Uber-bosses.html#ixzz4qCCGSecT

Thousands of drivers, including myself, received warnings in the Uber app about using Fake GPS programs on our phones and tablets. Hundreds, if not thousands of other drivers received other warnings on a wide variety of infractions Uber has reached a point where they have far more drivers than they need and it seems that the weeding process has begun. With a surplus of drivers, they can afford to weed out the worst ones and keep the best. https://www.ridester.com/uber-fake-gps-deactivation/

https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/en-gb/newsroom/press-releases/article/corporate-one/press-releases/tfl-pension-fund-investment-mandate_GB London – June 11, 2015 – TfL Pension Fund ('The Fund') has appointed BlackRock to manage liability-driven investing (LDI) and passive equity portfolios totaling £3.8bn assets. The £1.6bn LDI mandate will include measures to protect the Fund from market uncertainties, including inflation as well as interest rate and equity volatility, whist having measured exposure to risk to achieve excess positive returns. The Fund's £2.2bn passive equity exposure will include investments across a range of index funds. The primary objective is for the Fund to hold sufficient assets to meet its member liabilities. This new mandate follows an initial £100m commitment made by the Fund into the BlackRock Renewable Income in March 2014 - a UK-focused fund that invests in onshore wind, offshore wind and solar projects - which is part of a strategy to introduce new asset classes into the Fund's alternatives portfolio. Stephen Field, Fund Secretary of TfL Pension Fund, said: "We have a duty to our Fund members to ensure we employ the best investment solutions and consider all possible market risks and opportunities. BlackRock is a key partner, helping us to navigate changing market conditions to deliver the outcomes we require for our members." Andy Tunningley, Head of UK Strategic Institutional Clients at BlackRock said: "These are demanding times for pension funds and we believe the varied risks they face are best managed by understanding the true drivers of the underlying asset classes. We look forward to bringing together the best of BlackRock's investment and risk management platform to deliver the best outcomes for the Fund members." The Fund has over 82,000 members with assets of £7.3bn as at March 31 2014, across multi-asset index strategies, enhanced index funds, bonds, global equities and alternatives. About BlackRock BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At March 31, 2015, BlackRock’s AUM was $4.774 trillion. Headquartered in New York City, as of March 31, 2015, the firm had approximately 12,300 employees in more than 30 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.blackrock.com

We should make a list, top 10 exec companies and vote for it?

If you know the doormen, sometimes they remember you if you drop off at the same hotel regularly. However, they often got their own contacts anyway, as well as black taxi drivers, or they've already got a contract in place with a PH firm. Obviously if you go for it, you'd probably need an operator's licence, and maybe a facility to accept card payments.

quick droop and pick should be fine, quick means no more than 10 sec

I am curious about the tip, they will take commissions from it?

With LUX if dont earn £300/day you're losing money

Maybe. Earnings are irrelevant though, it's the amount of profit you make, which mattters. Going by your figures, I'd reckon it would cost more than £40 extra a day to run a brand new £70,000 LWB Lux car, compared to a 8 year old Prius (I know these are the extreme ends of the scale, but it's perfectly possible). Therefore, an experienced X driver who knows where the work and knows their way around London, will earn more in their 8 year old Prius (who paid cash outright for their car), than the new Lux driver, who has just entered the trade, financed to the hilt, with £1k monthly leasing payments. Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.

This is from London mate, in Manchester I was just visiting. I agree long hours indeed, but then again many people work for £1,300/month and they don't have the luxury to own a car. Nothing is perfect mate

are they allowed to use the name taxi? I think they have to change their name first right , 15% commission is good but how they will attract customers I wonder

I think customers should be more aware of how serious the rating system can affects us: -4 stars for them is like average where for us a 4 stars rating means deactivation -3 stars is like not so great and for us is big problem -1 and 2 stars should be used only for serious issues like assault or...

2019 or 2020 for all diesel cars older than 4 years even if you are PHV From 8 April 2019, the most polluting cars, vans and motorbikes will have to pay £12.50 to drive through central London, while buses, coaches and HGVs will pay £100. London's ultra low emission zone (ULEZ): Covers the same area as the existing congestion zone and will be in addition to the congestion charge Applies to petrol vehicles that do not meet Euro 4 standards and diesel vehicles that do not meet Euro 6 standards Will apply 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Will not apply to residents living in the zone until April 2022 Black taxis are exempt-but not PHV Replaces the £10 T-Charge which will apply for older cars entering the capital from October

Instead of finance why don't you try rent or lease?? maybe you will not like the job and then will be stuck with the finance

All my mates who are driving for Lux have huge pressure because of Uber, they are making around £12/hour with some of them £70k cars, can you imagine. Well done for those who spent 4k for car and now are making close £1000 weekly, I am not sure what is the future and why uber lost so many clients from LUX, something happened and hopefully same thing will not be happening for EXEC although is very cost effective for majority of the customers

Hi Shah you need to constantly check the link on uber website for availability regarding onboarding , I have been doing the same , uploaded all documents which always appear as pending but have managed to secure an onboarding appointment today !!! Keep checking very limited appointments are only available but requires you to check daily .

Go to www.joindrover.com, they do fully comp insurance for 22+ so looking at £200-250 for a car and insurance.

Hi Shah, Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry I'm unable to help you with your question since I am awaiting my licence to progress. However, it does seem that Uber are keen to get existing license holders on-board as soon as possible. I was in Birmingham City Centre today and was astounded at how many Uber cars there are now. Best if luck with your application. Rob

Had, because we cant have them anymore, strange...

Freelancer If the other person is working for KFC you can say whatever ; if is working for a company that is cool and you want to be as well , say transport business

Depends on the person asking, if you want to continue speaking to them for the rest of the evening (or whatever situation you're in), or you just want them to go away. If the latter, then saying you're a minicab driver works best. Most people will ask you the usual "are you busy?", "is it good money?" etc. Just say, "I get by nicely, thanks, and it pays the bills". Saying you're a chauffeur, (whether you are or not, if you're working for a chauffeur firm, or just drive for one client), isn't recommended, as you'll get the usual "do you/have you ever driven anyone famous?" which I find annoying (obviously, a professional wouldn't say who their client/s are to strangers), other than that, you'll get people asking what car/s you drive, where you go, and other questions which may seem impersonal and feel uncomfortable answering.

For those who still need to check how busy it is in some areas using the uber client app. ONLY for ANDROID You can download the old versions from : http://www.androiddrawer.com/28131/download-uber-app-apk/ And dont forget to disable automatic update from android. To turn updates on or off, follow these steps: Open Google Play. Tap the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) on the top-left. Tap Settings. Tap Auto-update apps. To disable automatic app updates, select Do not auto-update apps. or more easy, after you install the new app go to android play, search for uber client app and then use the far right corner and press the hamburger icon ( three vertical dots ) and disable auto-update

Apparently there's a rumour, that the older Exec drivers (who joined probably 2013-2014), who currently accept Exec work only, will have to accept X work sometime in the New Year. I can imagine a lot of those drivers (myself included) leaving. To do Exec work in a Lux car, at £1.80 a mile and 22.5p/minute is a joke though. Probably why they're inviting a lot of X drivers to upgrade to Exec/Lux - those with 1,000 trips under their belt, with a 4.85 rating or above. They know that forcing the existing Lux drivers doing Exec, and Exec doing X, are going to leave, and need to make up the shortfall.

If you drive for Exec or Lux, you have to drive towards the city, you have to chase the middle class or upper class clients

Hello all, I would like to offer discounts for forum members on the B1 English Language course provided by www.tflenglishtest.co.uk If anyone has any questions regarding the new English Language Requirement, please ask away or visit our website and most questions have been answered on there already. The information on our B1 English Language Course is below: Classes run from Monday to Thursday each week, drivers can attend the 10am to 1pm class or 1pm – 4pm class. We understand that some drivers may not be able to commit the full 4 days a week, in which case they can divide up the number of training days and stretch them out over additional week at no extra cost. All training will include mock tests and will be based on the Trinity College B1 English Language Exam. Our classes will be taught by Trinity College qualified teachers. 1 week training is 4 days and is best suited for drivers who are fairly confident and want to get some preparation in before the test. For one week we normally charge £250 but for forum members it's £200. 2 weeks training is 8 days over 2 weeks and is for drivers who need a little more time to prepare. We normally charge £300 but for forum members it's £225. 4 weeks training, which is the most popular and runs for 16 days over 4 weeks (which is double the amount of our nearest competitor), we normally charge £350 but for forum members it's £250. If anyone needs additional training after the 4 weeks they can discuss this with the teacher and we will arrange the additional weeks at a discount price. The test which they must take at a SELT Trinity College test centre can be booked after the course is complete by us for £180. Please mention the forum when booking and we will need the drivers Photo ID and a proof of address and how many weeks they are looking to do. Booking can be done via email to mak@tflenglishtest.co.uk Payment for the course would need to be made before the course begins and drivers can come to our enrollment office at Unit 1, 116 Mile End Road, London, E1 4UN to make the payment. Drivers are also welcome to come and visit our office to ask more questions regarding the new English Language Requirement and they may also have a look at some sample test papers.

Don't buy an Exec car just to upgrade, as you still have to do X and Pool jobs. Probably only 1 in 10 jobs will be an Exec job. Also don't buy a Lux car specifically for Uber unless you already have your own clients, and you just use Uber in your downtime to make a little extra beer money when you wouldn't have been doing anything anyway.

Good post, you often forget that working in any office/retail, PAYE job, there are commuting costs and times to consier as well, compared to PH/Uber. How does a say, Zone 1-3 travelcard cost these days? When I look at my end of year accounts, the profit I make - the amount I pay tax on, doesn't seem at all bad, considering that every motoring expense is covered, including the monthly lease cost of my car.

Using the marketing skills...google it. 1st- make your customer feel important by asking if the temp is ok, the music, if he is thirsty ... 2- be nice, ask him how was his day but dont push it if you dont get more than a straight answer 3-ask him about his favourite route 4-car clean, you clean and smart looking if possible

Guys how many times after you log off and drive to your home you cant get rid off the frustration generated by this job? How many of you checking the map using the client app, fill your anger when you see different cars disappear and you're still waiting like a fool ? How many of you bring all that frustration home and affects the quality of your life? Being nervous and frustrated you don't feel like being nice to your wife or kids or pets ? Be honest!

Its a different algorithm now, not like before ( the closest gets the job ) - some drivers have priority than others -there is a cap in earnings ( meaning that you can not make more than for ex: £1200 per week while others make £500, there is a balance ) - the more you work and constant you are the more and faster you will get the jobs ITs all very efficient and you and everybody else is just a piece of data in a big database called Uber

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/01/27/how-ubers-autonomous-cars-will-destroy-10-million-jobs-and-reshape-the-economy-by-2025-lyft-google-zack-kanter/ Autonomous cars will be commonplace by 2025 and have a near monopoly by 2030, and the sweeping change they bring will eclipse every other innovation our society has experienced.

No NO NO, as long i am there in the estimated time zone and the customer is not arriving in 5 minutes my job is done. NO SHOW and move on, no customer worth waiting more than 5 minutes....ah ok, if the customer is calling me and say i am sorry will be down in 5 minutes, then is a different situation! ( very rarely happening )

Untrained people from Uber office are refunding costumers and they don't show it in the weekly statement. SO, i had a customer who didn't arrived after 5 minutes and 1 phone call . Like any other normal driver who doesn't have time to waste, i cancel the trip by selecting no show and get the £7 . But wait, uber will make you think you got £7 but in reality if the customer complains like all do, they will refund those £7 and you will get just 6 minutes waiting time and plus another minim 5 to get to the location, 11 minutes from your time uber is stealing x 5 days = 55 minutes every week / --200 /month--2000/ year Go to trip invoices and check every job for fare adjustment !!!!!! Shame!!!

THey want to check if you wear shirt and tie ))

We are going to break this down into 3 parts that comes into play with ratings. 1) Your Car 2) The Driver 3) The Ride The Car So when it comes to your car there are a few items that can either help or hurt your rating. Here are a few things that can ensure your place of work gives you the most possible chances of success. Keep it clean- Both inside and out. This is the customers’ first impression and a clean car shows pride. You show you care about their comfort. Also if they are showing up to an event no one wants to be seen leaving a dirty car. Most customers do understand that on a muddy rainy day that a dirty car to some extend is acceptable. But if it’s been 3 days after a rainstorm and it still hasn’t been cleaned then you may get dinged for it. Interior is the same thing. No one wants to sit in mess or a big stain on the seat. Keep the car looking as new possible in the area they sit. Wipe down your doors periodically and ensure after every ride a quick scan to get rid of any debris left by a poor rider. Always in good repair – Get squeaks and crunches looked at. Riders do hear them and if it construed as a safety issue it could affect the rating. This also holds true on dashboard lights. Make sure that big red warning light is not on. People will be on guard getting into your car that’s unknown to them. Adding a level of stress just hurts the experience. Clutter to a minimum – Those fuzzy stuffed animals in the window may give you a sense of identity on the road. But the riders don’t want to be part of that. Religious symbols, political messages and your kids toys stuffed in the rear window ledge does not make a rider feel comfortable. They don’t want to be part of your life, they just want a ride. Keep it clear like it came from a car lot or a rental agency. Less is more. Tip jars and advertisements also don’t give riders a welcome feeling. Radio – I always leave the radio on the local pop station at a low level that’s not overpowering. This is a personal thing for most drivers. I can tell you having your gangster rap, or death metal, or hard core Techno is not a good start. Think again like an office or a store. What is neutral to the environment is never a bad choice. Quiet is also acceptable but can get awkward on long rides. Always ask the rider if they wish a particular station but not something you need to bend over backwards for. Not many do care about it long as it’s at a respectable volume. 2. The Driver As a driver it is your job to be professional even under the most demanding of circumstances. People are putting trust in you a complete stranger to get them to their destination. And for some trust is difficult and nervousness is always something riders deal with. These are just a few points that a driver can do to help with ratings. Be clean – Clean appearance is something that’s sounds simple. But body odour and stains in your clothes could be a contributing factor in a rider’s negative feedback. Be professional – A rider may engage you in conversation from time to time. Be polite and treat your office no different if you worked for a large company. Avoid the same topics you would not want in a real office environment. Sex, religion, politics are never good ways to engage a customer. If they engage in that type of conversation be polite but try and sway away from the topic at hand. I use my good standby question “How do you like the Uber service” That can easily fill up a ride. Not to be fake but sometimes just playing the customers’ side can prevent negative ratings. Even if it’s not what you believe. Don’t worry no one else cares what you say when the customer is gone. Connect with the rider – Greetings are always good. Start with a hello and ask for their name. Get the destination if not entered ask if they have a preferred route and you are on the way. Once moving simply ask the rider if they need the temperature changed or radio changed. You are here to help. Quiet please – Some riders prefer a quiet ride.It’s nothing personal but some just prefer it that way. If you engage the rider and you are met with short answers or areas of quiet don’t continue to engage. Nothing is worse than a chatty driver when all you want to do is gather your thoughts or get some emails done on your phone. 3. The Ride Safety first – Always drive safe and to the law. Running reds and weaving in and out of traffic are never good ideas. People are looking to arrive with little risk. You may be a skilled driver but the customer doesn’t know that. Drive like your parents do. Know you’re City – Knowing your city is important, yes we have GPS in the car but knowing traffic patterns and how to move around your city is very important. Missing turns and going the wrong way undermines the very job you have been asked to do. Get there safe and efficient. We all make mistakes from time to time. If you do apologize and make it right by telling the customer you will write Uber and have the fare adjusted to reflect the error. It’s your error but making it right always leads to positive response from riders and 5 stars. Not acknowledging and arguing the route it goes the opposite. Arrive where asked – If the rider asks to be picked up at a building pull up to the door. Nothing is worse than having to cross a busy 2 lane road to meet your driver. If the person is on the other side of the street meet them there. Just be sure to follow the local laws in your area. You come first in the safety equation, just communicate to your rider the concern and make alternate arrangements if the pickup is not safe. Be accommodating and you will have no issues. Be conscious of the drop of – Always watch where you drop off a passenger. Stopping in a huge puddle or at the side of a snowbank may give you entertainment watching a woman in high heels and a skirt navigate it. But it’s a sure way to get her pissed off and will affect the rating. Even if it is not directly in front of the location requested, just communicate to the passenger you are looking for a better spot for them to disembark safely. It shows care and they always rewarded for you thinking of their best interest. This is just a few tips from my playbook. I have kept a 4.9 rating going since I started and hitting almost 800 trips. And don’t worry if you get the odd hit here and there. Sometimes there is no way to avoid it. If you do your best and not worry so much, you will carry yourself with the confidence that will reflect to the customer. Key is treat people like people and you will continue to keep your rating high without even thinking about it. Sometimes I don’t give any freebies (No water no candies). I have not found it necessary to keep a rating up. Sometimes I find drivers can use it to their advantage but in my experience it has not been required.