Is Uber Worth It in London? (Merits, Demerits & Income)

Credit: nytimes

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – You must have strolled upon this article in hopes of finding the answer to whether is Uber worth it in London. The answer is yes and to justify that, this article is here to help you out. London is quite a diverse city and the same could be said about Uber as a company. So keep reading the article to find out more about this!

Why is Uber worth it in London?

The ride-sharing industry transformed a revenue model that had been in place for generations: A person looking for a ride waited on a busy metropolitan street corner and flagged down a taxi. On calmer streets or in cities where roving taxis are not available, the person might call a local taxi company and demand a pickup. 

E-hail services such as Uber enable you to private hire a driver from nearly any place at any time by using your smartphone. (“Nearly,” because chauffeurs are few in the suburbs and rural areas.) Proprietary software detects nearby drivers and provides a range of alternatives, from the lowest carpooling option to premium wheels. The price is fixed and pre-paid.

Uber in a nutshell

Uber’s well-known “surge pricing” adjusts the cost of its trips hourly according to regional demand. When more calls are placed, rates rise, attracting more drivers to the area in search of clients. Prices fall when demand declines.

By 2020, there would be four times the number of ride-sharing cars you drive on the road as taxis. These vehicles were requested by applications from companies other than Uber and Lyft, including Via, Juno, and Gett.

Merits

Following are a few merits of Uber:

1. Professional 

Uber and its rivals utilize their vehicles, and they appear to be encouraged to keep them spotless and quite well. Late-model compacts are the most affordable alternatives. Riders enter their desired locations using the app, and drivers utilize GPS navigation to get there. Incorrect turns are quite uncommon. Drivers are typically courteous and well-spoken. 

They will never refuse to transport you to a certain location. They don’t even know where you’re going when they answer the phone. That varies depending on the city or places you’re used to taking cabs in. Passengers review the driver’s performance, thus unethical drivers are weeded out. A driver who frequently receives bad uber ratings will be kicked off Uber.

2. Comfortable 

Rather than trying to catch a cab on the street or phoning and waiting for a vehicle service, users of e-hail apps may hail a car from any place and have it come in minutes. Uber does not even need to know your address. It is aware of your location. No cash is exchanged because the passenger’s credit card is tied to the e-hail account. 

When they get to their location, the chauffeur halts the vehicle, and the passenger exits and goes away. An email receipt is supplied with links to choices for reviewing and paying the driver.

Demerits

Following are a few demerits:

1. Competitive range

It is hard to determine a fixed or typical pricing for an Uber. Its pricing strategy differs per city, and the surge pricing concept continually alters rates based on demand. As per Consumer Reports, Uber is often less expensive for longer journeys, while short rides might be more costly. And the large bulk of Uber journeys is brief.

So, although an Uber journey from the airport to a suburban might as well save you money, a short-distance trip across a neighborhood may be cheaper in a cab and will almost certainly be cheaper by subway or bus. Consumer Reports also caution that the surge pricing methodology used by both Uber and Lyft might result in significantly higher charges during peak hours.

2. Prices 

Average wages are falling as a result of competition from those other ride-sharing services and the constant employment of new drivers. This implies that drivers must work longer hours to receive the same salary they would have received a year or two ago. Taxi drivers’ incomes have also fallen precipitously as a result of this. A few taxi medallions, which are effectively metal permission to drive a cab, have dropped from around $1.3 million to $160,000 in recent years, leaving drivers scrambling for fares and drowning in debt.

How Much Money an Uber Drive Can Make?

The hourly income for an Uber driver in London is between £14 and £22, which is greater than the mandatory wage. The National Living Wage was £9.50 per hour in April 2022, which equates to £545 in a 45-hour workweek, so a full-time Uber driver may make more.

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Conclusion

And that is about it for is uber worth it in London. It is and it is recommended that if you’re looking for a fun job then opt for this one as uber pays above the minimum wage and holiday pay. It’s not only beneficial for the customer but also for the driver. 

Beth Malcolm

Beth Malcolm is Scottish based Journalist at Heriot-Watt University studying French and British Sign Language. She is originally from the north west of England but is living in Edinburgh to complete her studies.