You can now get an Uber in Cornwall

Some taxis drivers not happy

Uber – the online company which runs ride-hailing services as an alternative to traditional taxis – is now operating in Cornwall, though many people haven’t realised yet.

Uber Britannia Limited was granted a private hire operator’s licence by Cornwall Council in May, which enables the operator to take private hire bookings across the Duchy. A quick visit to the Uber app reveals that on-demand car journeys can indeed be booked in Cornwall.

At the moment it appears the service is limited and mostly concentrated in more ‘urban’ areas like Falmouth, Newquay, Truro, Bodmin and St Ives. Availability and wait times may vary, especially during busy periods.

Uber is an American multinational company which provides ride-hailing services, food delivery and other services through a smartphone app. It connects passengers with drivers using their personal vehicles, allowing users to request and pay for rides digitally and track their driver’s location. Uber operates in over 10,000 cities across more than 70 countries and has now become a part of everyday life in more urban areas across the UK.

The arrival of Uber in Cornwall has already raised concern among taxi companies and drivers in the Duchy. Many working in the industry are already concerned about Cornwall Council’s bid to get rid of six taxi zones in favour of one countywide zone, which they believe will hit people living in rural areas and could lead to increased tariffs.

Writing on a forum dedicated to taxi businesses in Cornwall, a representative of Falmouth Taxi Association, said: “If our tariffs were to go up, Uber would swoop in and undercut us all and they don’t follow the same rules and procedures as we do.

“In my opinion, Uber is a company notorious for lobbying councils, undercutting the local trade and destroying taxi industries through monopolising the taxi markets. They also take 25 per cent of any tariff and that 25 per cent gets sent internationally, so not only out of our country but out of Cornwall, benefiting no one in Cornwall.

“You don’t have to trust me, you just have to look at other areas of the country where Uber have done this – London, Bristol, Merseyside, Birmingham, Sheffield and, closer to home, Plymouth.”