London Carriages, a fairer deal?

After ViaVan, it is another application that is about to be launched in London by the end of May 2018. London Carriages expects to start its operations around the capital on the 28th of May.

All the drivers prospected and on boarded had the meeting with the app-based company this month to set up and brief everyone before the official launch of the app. Several pieces of information are worth being mentioned.
Before being an app based company, London Carriages has been operating in London for 20 years as a traditional mini cab company. They are TFL approved with a grade A1. That means that according to TFL, they offer high standards in terms of passengers and drivers consideration.

Ethos

London Carriages’ strategy is described as a safe and reliable service for passengers and a fair deal for drivers. With “a fairer deal for drivers”, the company hopes to fill the void that Uber left after many years of activity where a good proportion of drivers felt badly or unfairly treated.

Fares

The fares are higher than Uber or ViaVan ones. On Caliber, the equivalent of Uber X, the rates are £1.75 per mile, £0.30 per minute and £2.50 base fare. There is also a £0.55/min waiting time after 5 minutes and cancelation fee of £5. Like Uber, many types of cars are accepted on the platform. It goes from Caliber to Lux cars, including XL cars. The fares are obviously different for each category.

Booking system

The jobs details are not known until the passenger is in the car but before accepting the request. So the name, destination and estimate fare are shown to the driver before any acceptance of the ride. Two types of payment are possible: Cash or through the app. From these payments, London Carriages take a commission fee of 18%. It is also possible to get a commission fee of 10% if the driver refers a customer to the app.

Challenge ahead

That seems quite attractive but the question to answer is that whether the customer base is going to be enough important to supply enough demand for drivers.
To face this challenge, London Carriages points out that they are in partnership with businesses like restaurants and clubs that will be part of the demand. Also, they claim that in order to ensure a balance between the offer and the demand, the recruitment of drivers will be monitored so that there are enough customers for the drivers on the platform.

Prime venue rental

London Carriages offer its drivers the possibility to have exclusivity on deals with a venue like a club or restaurant. In exchange of a rent, of about £100, the driver will be given the jobs of this particular venue. No more specific info were given to know if it is worth it or not.

How to apply with London Carriages?

If you want to test the experience and try out London Carriages, you need to contact them directly through their drivers’ page. Their app will not be available on the phones platform, App Store or google play, it will be sent directly to the drivers by the company.