Latest news with #MatthewFreckelton
Press and Journal
16-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Uber chief claims airport rule change shows Aberdeen needs more taxis - as shortage 'holds back the city'
Uber has hit out at plans allowing airport taxis to work in Aberdeen while the Tall Ships are here – saying it proves there aren't enough cabs on city streets. The council's licensing committee recently agreed to relax the rules around where vehicles can operate for certain spells. Drivers typically only allowed on airport runs will be allowed to work all over Aberdeen during the four-day Tall Ships festival in July and again for Offshore Europe in September. It follows concerns that city was heading into the tourist bonanza with a dearth of taxis available to ferry visitors around. Uber's head of cities, Matthew Freckelton, is now arguing that the change proves drastic action is needed to permanently increase the Aberdeen fleet. The firm has previously railed against would-be drivers having to pass a stringent 'street knowledge test' before getting a licence. Mr Freckelton claimed Uber 'had the data' to show there was a need for more cabs in the city. The ride-hailing platform launched in Aberdeen in October but thousands of trip requests have gone unanswered due to a shortage of licensed drivers. He said: 'This move from Aberdeen Council clearly shows that there is an unmet demand for taxis in the city. 'We know this from the 170,000 trip requests in our app since we launched. 'This huge unmet demand is holding back the city, especially when it comes to major events such as the Tall Ships Races.' The Uber boss added: 'In normal weeks however, Uber is already seeing enough passenger demand to add over 100 drivers in the city. 'This would help passengers get to where they want to safely, and boost the local economy.' Uber is understood to have only a 'single digit' handful of drivers in Aberdeen. However, a recent Licenced Vehicle Surveys and Assessment report stated there was 'no significant unmet demand and no overprovision of private hire cars'. But it did suggest there was limited availability, particularly on Saturday nights and peak times during the week. These results prompted Aberdeen businessman and head of Our Union Street Bob Keiller to share his thoughts on the situation. He claimed there was a shortage of taxis in the city and urged the council to drop the street knowledge test for drivers. Mr Keiller said: 'The number of licensed drivers in Aberdeen has fallen by about half in the last 10 years and we are about to see another step down in numbers when the LEZ exemption for taxis expires in June. 'We will be heading into the Tall Ships and Offshore Europe with fewer taxis than we have had for many years.' The temporary rule change will allow airport taxis work in Aberdeen during the Tall Ships festival from 6pm on Friday, July 18 to 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 22. They will be able to do the same for Offshore Europe from Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 September.
Press and Journal
08-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Readers react to Uber's slow start in Aberdeen
Following Uber's claim that council rules are blocking its growth in Aberdeen, readers have been quick to respond. The ride-hailing giant says it logged 190,000 trip requests in its first six months in the city – but most of them went unanswered due to a shortage of licensed drivers. Uber's UK head of cities Matthew Freckelton said Aberdeen's street knowledge test is the main blocker to driver recruitment. While other cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh have scrapped such tests for private hire, Aberdeen has held firm – insisting the rules remain 'appropriate'. The issue has sparked a heated response from readers commenting on Press and Journal's story. Many expressed frustration with Aberdeen City Council's restrictive licensing rules. Jordan Book said: 'This is anti-competitive and is actively harming our city…You can resist the future, but you can't stop it.' Many say the real-world impact of the driver shortage is already being felt. Neil Thomson put it bluntly. 'Get a grip Aberdeen Council. Lack of taxis in town puts people off going in, as they know they can't get home! 'The test is outdated and blocking healthy competition in what should be a 'free market'. 'Why don't Edinburgh and Glasgow have a knowledge test? Because they are not in the dark ages!' Safety is also a concern for some. 'The hospitality industry is suffering heavily as a result,' said Temptleton Peck. 'What about public safety queueing for hours late at night and women walking home alone.' Mark Geary added: 'We're so low on taxis in Aberdeen that we need something to happen to improve the situations. At least Uber means there's a workable service.' The reliance on navigation apps was a recurring point. 'I have used Uber all over the world with the drivers using sat-nav and never had a problem,' wrote Robert Lang. 'Aberdeen City Council demand that the drivers have to pass a knowledge test like it's 1925, not 2025.' Sadie Leith agreed: 'Every Uber I've had in other cities successfully and efficiently used Google Maps or Waze. Why can't that be the case in this bustling metropolis of a city?' For others frustration with traditional taxis fuels support for change. Mark Ewan said he was fed up with local taxi services and their 'constant lack of availability' and being forced to withdraw cash due to 'broken' card machines. 'Uber offers modern, reliable service, clean cars, bringing flexibility and better service quality,' added Mark. 'The reality is that the taxi industry needs to adapt.' Still, not everyone is convinced Uber is the solution. Stuart Davidson, currently studying for his taxi license, says drivers have worked out they'd earn less with Uber after its commission. 'There's no incentive,' he said. 'It's not rocket science.' And some defended the current rules. 'You really should have a good knowledge of the city,' said Gary McQueen. 'Not just rely on sat-nav.' But most commenters agreed on one point: Aberdeen needs more drivers. Mike Robertson summed it up: 'Local taxi companies are brilliant, the issue is we need more on the road as there's not enough of them to cover peak times. 'Scrap the knowledge test, all new drivers use the sat-nav anyway. We badly need more taxis on the road to provide a decent public service.'
Press and Journal
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Press and Journal
Why hasn't ride-hailing app Uber taken off in Aberdeen?
Uber claims it could add 100 more drivers in Aberdeen, but says the city's outdated licensing rules are stopping it from meeting demand. In the six months since its soft launch in October, the ride-hailing platform says it has logged more than 190,000 trip requests in Aberdeen. But a 'significant portion' of those have gone unanswered due to a shortage of licensed drivers. 'We have been able to service a certain number of those trips, but not as many as we would like,' admitted Matthew Freckelton, Uber's head of cities. 'We think we can easily support up to 100 new drivers on our platform. 'The main blocker is Aberdeen City Council's street knowledge test.' Uber declined to reveal how many drivers it has active in the city, citing commercial sensitivity. The Press and Journal understands the number is in single digits. Why hasn't Uber app taken off in Aberdeen? Uber says the main blocker to recruiting drivers is Aberdeen City Council's onerous street knowledge test. Mr Freckelton describes it as the most restrictive in Scotland, taking around six months to prepare for, with a fail rate of 85%. 'There are no street knowledge tests in Edinburgh and Glasgow,' he explained. 'We have asked the council whether Aberdeen is more complicated to navigate than Edinburgh and Glasgow? The question goes unanswered.' The Uber chief says the driver shortage is already hurting the night-time economy and making life more difficult for shift workers, including hospital and retail staff, who rely on late-night travel. Uber's first ride in Aberdeen with driver Matt Chyla and Alastair Gossip, outside Marischal College. Image: Isaac Buchan/DCT Media 'People are potentially having to walk home late at night in the dark. And that's not a safe situation.' Unlike traditional taxis which can be hailed on the street or wait at ranks, Uber operates as a private hire company. This means all trips must be pre-booked via the app, with sat-nav providing the route. Mr Freckelton says most Scottish councils have already scrapped street knowledge tests for private hire licensing, recognising that technology has changed the industry. Uber claims it was locked out of Aberdeen trade meetings But in Aberdeen, Uber says it's not just up against restrictive rules – it's also being shut out of key decision-making meetings by council. 'Aberdeen is the first city that we have been prevented from attending meetings,' he said. 'We are licensed by 90 councils and Aberdeen told me I wasn't allowed to attend the meetings.' The app-based firm claims the report into 'unmet demand' for taxis and private hire vehicles in Aberdeen was misleading. Image: Uber Though the council has since invited Uber to register its interest in attending future meetings, access remains at the discretion of the licensing committee. Disputed demand figures The tension ramped up further when a recent council-commissioned 'unmet demand' survey concluded there was no shortage of taxi and private hire availability in Aberdeen. Uber disagrees – strongly. 'We weren't even told the consultation was happening,' Mr Freckleton said. 'We have the data and we can demonstrate that there is significant unmet demand in Aberdeen. 'I've got 190,000 trip requests, most of that is unmet, that I cannot meet because I cannot get drivers licensed because of the street knowledge test. 'In our opinion, that was a misleading report.' An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said Uber was made aware of its requirements for drivers to pass the knowledge test before it was granted a booking office license. 'The street knowledge test was recently the subject of a content review, and the most recent figure had the pass mark at 33% since the changes have been implemented,' he added. 'Uber and other applicants were advised that there were currently no vacancies on the taxi and private hire consultation group at the time of application. 'However, the makeup of the group is currently under review and spaces may become available. 'The legislation permits a topographical test and to date it has been the view of the licensing committee that the test remains appropriate.'
