As of today, Thursday, Uber will start operating in the south of Tenerife to "respond to the growth in mobility that the island has been experiencing in the last few years". In an exclusive interview with DIARIO DE AVISOS, the company's general manager in Spain and Portugal, Felipe Fernández Aramburu, reveals how the service, which will be welcomed by users and possibly shake up the ‘taxi world’, will work.
Uber first arrived in mainland Spain in 2014, providing 'low-cost' transport services on demand via their app, but now the time has come for them to expand their service to the Archipelago. Here is an overview of their interview:
So, what are the services that Uber will offer here in Tenerife?
“At first, two types of services are being established on the island, Uber Black, the company's premium product that makes luxury vehicles available to customers, and taxi services, running in collaboration with the taxi cooperatives.”
This opens the possibility for taxi drivers in Tenerife to cooperate with Uber. What would they have to do to join?
“Correct. In Spain over 4,000 taxis already work with Uber. Now, Tenerife will become the sixth place in the country that has this service. The idea is that professionals in the sector register through the app to work with Uber, a registration that they can carry out from today. This is a very big commitment that we have as a company worldwide. The goal is that all the taxis in the world are in the application. In exchange for this, they will receive several financial incentives.”
What are those incentives from which they can benefit?
“Three types of bonuses have been established. First of all, from today until August 31st of this year, those drivers who start working with Uber will enjoy a 0% service commission, which means that all the fares they generate will be entirely for them.
Another incentive will be a bonus of 450 euros if they complete 50 trips in a week booked through the app, which is a very feasible figure, and finally, 300 euros will be given to drivers for each referral/recommendation they make to another driver. So, if a new user registers in the application after their invitation, they will receive this amount.
To this we must add that, if the registered taxi driver manages to make 25 journeys, they will be paid an extra 150 euros. In summary, if the proposed objectives are achieved, they can earn an extra 750 euros a week in addition to the fares generated. With these bonuses we hope that as many taxi drivers as possible will join”.
In the case of Uber Black, what fleet does the company have?
“For our premium product we currently have a fleet of 30 vehicles. Initially, we will start working with this number, to which we will have to add the taxis of the workers registered in the application. Surely, later on the company will increase this fleet, since 30 cars will not be enough to provide solutions to the mobility problems of Tenerife. That is why we invite professionals in the sector to join the company in order to have a large number of vehicles and for users to have greater availability in the app to choose their journey”.
As you have explained, the service will work on demand through the application. What do people have to do to request a vehicle?
“The user must download the app and register in it, including a valid form of payment. To use the service, the citizen must have their location activated and select the destination of their trip. Then, the app will provide the customer with the final price of the trip and the system will send a request to the drivers available at that time.
Once the travel request is accepted, a specific driver and vehicle will be assigned, whose data will be provided to the user. In addition, the waiting time, the name of the driver and type of car and the registration number can be seen in the app in real-time so they can see the car coming.
If the client needs to communicate with the driver before collection to make an additional request, an internal chat is provided in the application, as well as the possibility of making a call anonymously to preserve the privacy of the data.
In addition, the passenger will be able to share their location and the estimated time it will take to arrive with family and friends. Both users and drivers can rate each other, information that is very useful to guarantee the quality of the service”.
When paying, what prices are stipulated and how would the transaction be carried out?
“For the taxi service, the prices will be governed by one of the taximeters defined by the local authorities. This also includes that the airport taxes stipulated in the Canary Islands will be applied. As for Uber Black, they are determined by a minimum price that varies depending on demand.
In the case of requesting a vehicle during the week, the minimum is 16 euros, while for weekends or night hours, the stipulated price will be a minimum of 23 euros.
As for the time to pay, the user will have previously chosen the method through the app between credit card, debit card, cash, Apple Pay, or Paypal. Once at the destination, no additional fee will be necessary. However, Uber also offers the possibility of automatically splitting the price of the trip with your companions”.
Tenerife becomes the ninth place in Spain where Uber operates. Specifically, in which municipalities will it be available?
“Starting today, Uber will be available in four places on the island: Arona, Adeje, Granadilla de Abona and Guía de Isora, including the Reina Sofía South Airport. Trips must begin in said municipalities, with no option to request a vehicle that is not in those areas.
However, the routes can be moved to other places on the island. For example, the user could make the journey from the South Reina Sofía Airport to the Tenerife North Airport, but it will not be allowed to make the trip in the opposite direction”.
Does the company plan to expand Uber services on the island to other areas?
“Although we will begin to operate in these four municipalities, the idea is to expand to the rest of Tenerife. For this, we need to analyze how the service and the application work between citizens and visitors, in order to improve the service as much as possible to adjust it to the customer's demands.
Another indicator that would reflect the interest and good reception of the services would be the number of taxi drivers from other municipalities on the island that register in the application. Hopefully, this happens and a large number of taxi drivers join, in addition to expanding the VTC partners that allow Uber to work as well as possible”.
And are you considering implementation in other islands of the Archipelago?
“The idea is to eventually expand to Gran Canaria, but today the objective is to be in Tenerife, and based on how it works here, I think we will continue to grow across the Canary Islands.”
