MyTaxi - booking charge

Fanny Wank

Just got an email saying a €2 booking charge will apply from tomorrow

Sabre0001

To be pedantic

"The €2 Booking Fee
The €2 booking fee is an industry-standard fee charged by all taxi providers in Ireland. In the past, we've asked mytaxi drivers to discount this fee for our customers.

Improving the Service
From Thursday the 21st of September 2017, to align with taxi industry standards, we’re no longer requesting that drivers discount the €2 booking fee."

So...optional, but you can be certain that taxi drivers will add on the fee.

Fanny Wank

Do you pay the €2 pick up charge with Uber? Have never used it

LollipopJimmy

Just got the mail and subsequently deleted the app.
I've taken it that they have given in to pressure from drivers and will be charging.

devnull

Been going downhill since they bought up Hailo in my view.

Dublin0813

I use Mytaxi all the time and if the drivers start charging a pickup charge. I don't think they have thought this through and it will have a big impact on their business. People will revert to hailing down taxis on the street where they can.

I'll try it once tomorrow and once it is charged it I'll only be using Mytaxi when there is no other option.

NinjaTruncs

You would have to think this will stop anyone from using the app in town, why would you book a taxi when you can walk out your door and flag one down cheaper and from my recent experience trying to get a taxi using the app during busy times is impossible, but I guess the taxi drivers are fed up paying the commission to mytaxi so allowing this charge to be added will keep taxi drivers happy for a while.

As said above though the selling point of mytaxi is being diluted which could just drive people back to using their local dispatchers.

GhostyMcGhost

Fanny **** wrote: »

Just got an email saying a €2 booking charge will apply from tomorrow

A taxi for 2 people

€4 on meter when you get there
€2 because he's picking you up
€1 for the second person

So €7 before you move an inch..... Well **** me I'd rather walk

Perfect username

JohnR1968

Taxi Fares have just gone up too! I got more taxis than ever due to the convenience, this extra charge will make me re-think. Bad decision, another Ryanair moment?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

dudara

As fair as concerned when I use the app, I'm hailing a taxi. It's the literal equivalent of sticking your hand out on the side. I don't see it as booking. Booking is when I request one for 4am in the morning to the airport.

Will the MyTaxi app warn you if a driver will apply the €2 charge? Will I get a chance to decline a driver if he wants to charge it?

bk

I have to say really bad news and bad move by MyTaxi.

For me this will be an almost 20% increase! On top of the upcoming 3% increase by the NTA! No chance, I'll be taking far less taxis from now on.

Taxi drivers might come to regret this when they learn how people react to such a big price jump. Also MyTaxi will likely suffer as now no one will use it when in town. And it gives a good opening to the other apps to guarantee no bookings and undercut them.

Despite all the controversy surrounding them, I find Uber to be a lot better. I agree that things have gone downhill since MyTaxi took over Hailo.

IrionDevral

It's not at all clear from the MyTaxi e-mail if the charge will be applied only when you book a taxi through the app (i.e. for a particular time) or when you just hail one.


Maybe it's just when you actually book, in which case fair enough but if it's an extra €2 whenever you hail one then I'll just go back to the old fashioned sticking my arm out!

dudara

The NTA (who mandate this charge) consider hailing a taxi through an app to be "booking" a taxi. Therefore the €2 charge can be applied.

Time to ask the NTA why this is deemed logical

GhostyMcGhost

dudara wrote: »

The NTA (who mandate this charge) consider hailing a taxi through an app to be "booking" a taxi. Therefore the €2 charge can be applied.

Time to ask the NTA why this is deemed logical

Maybe why it's not called hail-o anymore

magicbastarder

matt cooper was discussing this on today fm earlier, and was saying they were getting messages in from taxi drivers who were signing back up for the app as a result of this, and from listeners who were deleting the app from their phones as a result.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

myshirt

This is a bad move. They are getting too excited by the uplift in the economy. Yes they will make some money off this.... initially.... but then volumes will go down, and when they go down it will be difficult to get them back up.

dudara

Remember that this €2 applies to ordering a cab through any app. So Uber and Lyft(??) should be charging it too (if not already)

LollipopJimmy

You can be sure mytaxi are 100% against this and it's pressure from the NTDU

bk

dudara wrote: »

The NTA (who mandate this charge) consider hailing a taxi through an app to be "booking" a taxi. Therefore the €2 charge can be applied.

Time to ask the NTA why this is deemed logical

It is a bit more complicated then that. The NTA only specify the maximum fares and charges, drivers don't actually have to charge those max fares or charges.

And as such, in the past apps like Hailo, Uber, etc. made it a requirement that drivers who made use of their service, didn't implement this charge.

So it really wasn't the NTA who were forcing it. However I do think that the NTA should have scrapped the charge completely and instead integrated it into the overall charge.

magicbastarder wrote: »

matt cooper was discussing this on today fm earlier, and was saying they were getting messages in from taxi drivers who were signing back up for the app as a result of this, and from listeners who were deleting the app from their phones as a result.

It is gas, lots of drivers signing on to it, only to find all the customers gone and no work.

bk

dudara wrote: »

Remember that this €2 applies to ordering a cab through any app. So Uber and Lyft(??) should be charging it too (if not already)

No they aren't forced to, see my above comment.

MayoSalmon

Uber please now!

bk

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

It is a 20% increase on my normal fare! Taxis are already pretty expensive.

I won't delete the app, but I'll be taking far less taxi's now and I'll be trying Uber first when I do need a Taxi now.

devnull

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

Maybe why it's not called hail-o anymore

I was just thinking that it was pretty handy they got rid of that name with this in mind!

devnull

magicbastarder wrote: »

matt cooper was discussing this on today fm earlier, and was saying they were getting messages in from taxi drivers who were signing back up for the app as a result of this, and from listeners who were deleting the app from their phones as a result.

So if there is a load of taxi drivers signing up and a load of customers deleting the app there is going to be a balance problem soon with lots of taxi drivers using the app and not enough customers and they'll then be out moaning they cannot get any fares anymore.

I think the logical solution to this is to give it a €1 rise :pac:

mikemac2

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

You can be sure mytaxi are 100% against this and it's pressure from the NTDU

Taxi unions have no power, they have more factions than the left wing political parties :P

• Irish Taxi Drivers Federation
• The National Taxi Drivers Union
• National Private Hire & Taxi Association
• National Irish Taxi Association
• SIPTU had a taxi drivers branch but not sure if that exists anymore

And I would guess most taxi drivers are not union members anyway. If every union called a strike and we've had taxi strikes before you'll still get drivers working and rubbing their hands at easier work

It's a business decision from mytaxi, they don't care what any taxi union has to say.

dudara

bk wrote: »

No they aren't forced to, see my above comment.

You're right, it's at the discretion of the driver. I think I asked in my first post if the MyTaxi app will let you know if a driver intends to charge it. It would be good to know so then you can say "exclude all drivers who want to charge this"

bk

dudara wrote: »

You're right, it's at the discretion of the driver. I think I asked in my first post if the MyTaxi app will let you know if a driver intends to charge it. It would be good to know so then you can say "exclude all drivers who want to charge this"

That is a great idea, gives users a choice.

ANXIOUS

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I'm not saying I'll delete it because of this, I will just use it less. I work on Camden street and if I'm getting a taxi from work I'll hailo it to the front door. From now on I'll just go into the street and do it. So using the app only when needs must.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Seve OB

Some of you guys really showing your ignorance here.

Oh and yis really haven't a clue about the industry.

markpb

Seve OB wrote: »

Some of you guys really showing your ignorance here.

Oh and yis really haven't a clue about the industry.

Solid arguments made there. I dunno about you guys but I'm convinced!

The Moldy Gowl

Seve OB wrote: »

Some of you guys really showing your ignorance here.

Oh and yis really haven't a clue about the industry.

Go on enlighten us.
Why do the drivers deserve 2 euro for clicking confirm on an app?

It's up to them to decide if its worth their time to drive to the pick up.

devnull

devnull wrote: »

Been going downhill since they bought up Hailo in my view.

Ive given up on MyTaxi. The last 5 times I tried to use it I couldn't get it to order me a taxi. In the end I either rang or flagged one down. As a former daily user of hailo its such a shame that a once great app has become unusable.

yosser hughes

Seve OB wrote: »

Some of you guys really showing your ignorance here.

Oh and yis really haven't a clue about the industry.

Maybe you could clarify a few things for people if you have more of a knowledge?

Fanny Wank

Seve OB wrote: »

Some of you guys really showing your ignorance here.

Oh and yis really haven't a clue about the industry.

Sounds like some drivers really haven't a clue about (or care about) their customers

Mr.Frame

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

A taxi for 2 people

€4 on meter when you get there
€2 because he's picking you up
€1 for the second person

So €7 before you move an inch..... Well **** me I'd rather walk

Perfect username

its 3.60 euro between the hrs of 8am -8pm..... 4 euro between hrs 8pm to 8am and on Sundays and Bank hols/

Mr.Frame

JohnR1968 wrote: »

Taxi Fares have just gone up too! I got more taxis than ever due to the convenience, this extra charge will make me re-think. Bad decision, another Ryanair moment?

"Taxi fares have just gone up too"
Have they ? since when ??

listermint

I just don't understand charging 2 euro additional for an. App that allows you to manage your workload from your taxi yourself without and base or calls to deal with. Easy to manage easy to see workload. The technology is worth the use for their existing fee passing it on to customers that will just say no.. See you later makes no sense.

Hailo used to be great used it all the time. Nothing but poor experiences with mytaxi.

Mr.Frame

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

You can be sure mytaxi are 100% against this and it's pressure from the NTDU

What pressure would that be now ?Unions have no say in the running of a taxi business, especially the NTDU since they are now non existent!!

Mytaxi decided to re introduce the 2euro pick up charge, its a business decision.

Mr.Frame

You would think the world was going to end with people deleting the app and moaning about 2 euro , thats TWO euro!!

The same people have no problem paying extra money for a alcohol when the bar ups its price after 11pm they just pay up .

poisonated

I'm going to delete the app. If it takes me 10 minutes waiting on the street for a taxi, that would be 12 euro an hour. I would work for 12 euro an hour.

Mr.Frame

poisonated wrote: »

I'm going to delete the app. If it takes me 10 minutes waiting on the street for a taxi, that would be 12 euro an hour. I would work for 12 euro an hour.

12 euro an hour? how do you work that one out?

LollipopJimmy

Mr.Frame wrote: »

What pressure would that be now ?Unions have no say in the running of a taxi business, especially the NTDU since they are now non existent!!

Mytaxi decided to re introduce the 2euro pick up charge, its a business decision.

No need to be pedantic about what the unions are now called. But you're telling me that mytaxi just decided this without pressure from drivers?
Why would they do that? To make the extra commission on each fare? Hardly worth it for them.

Fanny Wank

Mr.Frame wrote: »

You would think the world was going to end with people deleting the app and moaning about 2 euro , thats TWO euro!!

On the other hand seeing as it's only a whole 2 euro you'll obviously be waiving it?

poisonated

Mr.Frame wrote: »

12 euro an hour? how do you work that one out?

If you were to pay the booking charge that would be a sixth of 12 euro. If you were to get six taxis in an hour that would be six times 2 = 12 euro.

Mr.Frame

Fanny **** wrote: »

On the other hand seeing as it's only a whole 2 euro you'll obviously be waiving it?

Me waiving it ??
I see no reason not to pay it, its been around for years and I pay it when i book a taxi with my local taxi firm

Mr.Frame

poisonated wrote: »

If you were to pay the booking charge that would be a sixth of 12 euro. If you were to get six taxis in an hour that would be six times 2 = 12 euro.

Wow , thats a bit of a leap!

bk

Mr.Frame, lots of people on this thread now saying they will delete it.

€2 extra on an already pretty expensive taxi fare may well be the straw that breaks the camels back.

Of course many people will continue to take taxis, but many might now find it too expensive and think twice. Drivers might find their overall take home go down, even though the per trip amount goes up. Upping prices doesn't always lead to more profit, often it can lead to the opposite, that is why pricing of any product/service is a delicate balance.

It also may end up to leading to more demand and pressure from the general public to the NTA to allow Uber to introduce their car pooling service to help bring down prices. The Taxi industry have already seen what happens when you try to take advantage of the public with de-regulation.

Patww79 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Ah, right, you are definitely an outlier! The average taxi fare is something around the €12 to 14 mark. And as result, it makes a bigger difference. Also folks with cheaper fares tend to take taxis more often.

poisonated

Mr.Frame wrote: »

Wow , thats a bit of a leap!

Not really but you're entitled to your opinion.