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Students welcome Uber's arrival in city

Maddy Jennings
BBC News, Norfolk
Maddy Jennings/BBC Two girls, looking into the camera smiling. Taz, on the left, has dark long hair with a purple tint. She is wearing a purple checked jacket, and golf hoop earrings. Kyla is stood to her right. She has her brown hair in two braids, and has a yellow clip in her hair. She is wearing a green v neck shirt with a brown leather jacket. In the background, there is a building site at a church. Maddy Jennings/BBC
Taz Khaleque and Kyla Obryne think having Uber will make the city more accessible

Uber has finally arrived in Norwich. The company says it is launching in the city to meet an unmet demand for private hire vehicles. Norwich's Black Cabs Association, meanwhile, fears it will have an adverse effect on its members' business. But what do students in the city think?

Taz Khaleque, 20, moved from Colchester to start at Norwich University of the Arts in September.

"I use it back at home, and everywhere else I go," she says.

Her friend, 20-year-old Kyla Obryne, says: "It's quite scary walking home at night, so it'll be a lot better getting an Uber."

Maddy Jennings/BBC Two men looking into the camera. Behind them, there is a park with a blue sky and green grass. The man on the left has short dark hair and a moustache. He is wearing a black jumper, which says Carhartt on the front on white text. The man on the tight has short brown hair. He is wearing a white t-shirt with a cream zip up jacket over the top. Both man have rucksack straps on their shoulders. Maddy Jennings/BBC
Jojo Royall and Leon Cox think Uber will be useful

Leon Cox and Jojo Royall, both 17 and students at Jane Austen College, think the service will have its benefits.

"I think it's good for students who live on the outside of Norwich and have no other means of getting in," says Jojo.

"Buses are a bit dodgy here sometimes."

Maddy Jennings/BBC Three women, smiling into the camera. On the left, the woman has a dark fringe and tied back hair. She has ear and nose piercings, and is wearing a red top. The woman in the middle has ginger hair which is tied back. She has a silver necklace on and a blue jumper. The woman on the right is wearing glasses and has her blonde hair tied back in a bun. She is wearing a cream jumper.Maddy Jennings/BBC
Nula, Millie and Georgia are students at Norwich University of the Arts

Textiles students Georgia Minister, 27, and Millie Crosser, 18, think Uber will be useful for getting home at night.

"Taxis here aren't the best when you're on a night out," says Georgia.

Millie says: "I've queued for hours waiting for a taxi before."

However, Nula Townsend, 21, says she would rather support local businesses.

"I think I'll try and use local firms when I can, but if they don't have any drivers, I'll try Uber instead."

Sancha Tallowin, 19, says she has also been left waiting for a taxi.

"You're normally left standing in the street for an hour after a night out," she says.

"I feel like every other city has it and we've been left waiting."

Getty Images A black car with a sign on the passenger door, reading: "Uber: Be Booked, Be Insured"Getty Images
Uber has begun operating in Norwich in response to "unmet demand"

Mohammed, who declined to give his surname, signed up to drive with Uber after previously working with local firms.

"It's a new opportunity," he says.

"It's been really good so far, and I think we'll be busy over the weekends. There's a lot of demand for Uber, and it will be good for students, too."

Shutterstock A close-up of orange sign, reading "TAXI" on top of a black taxiShutterstock
Norwich Black Cabs Association fears Uber may hit its members' businesses

Kierran Greaves, from the Norwich Black Cabs Association, says there are enough taxi options in the city already.

"I don't think there is a large unmet demand. You see a lot of private hire vehicles sitting around the city waiting for jobs," he says.

"I can see it having an adverse effect on our business."

The National Private Hire and Taxi Association expressed concern over Uber's influx into cities.

A spokesperson said: "It does offer drivers more choice of operators they can work for, and it offers the travelling public more choice."

"However, their excessively low fare structure can have the impact of undermining the local trade and forcing drivers to work longer hours in order to simply makes ends meet."

Earlier this month, after Uber were granted a licence to operate 160 drivers in Plymouth, a local taxi firm said Uber had the potential to "destroy the local marketplace".

In June, York City Council gave Uber a licence to operate after a six-year ban over concerns from local taxi firms, who said they were "already struggling".

Uber says of its decision to operate in Norwich: "Part of the reason we have launched [on Wednesday] is that we have seen huge amounts of unmet demand, with thousands of people trying to book a trip on the app in the city every week.

"This unmet demand can now be met."

Andrew Brem, Uber's UK manager, said the firm would "provide new earning opportunities for local drivers, give passengers greater transport options and support the local economy".

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