Either way, plying for trade/plying for hire are both considered in legislation to be illegal to Private Hire vehicles.
For the first 10 years of its existence, Uber was useless to anyone without a smartphone as the concept could only operated as an app.
Now they have contemporaries, who have adopted exactly the same technology, in the form of Ola, Kapten, Bolt and ViaVan.
But this is all about to change.
Earlier this month, Uber rolled out a kiosk at Toronto's Pearson International Airport that allows passengers to actually book a ride without a smartphone.
The company says it's new idea has been designed to create greater access for travellers who might have a difficult time using the app, because of language or technical problems such as; no battery, no signal and even no smart phone.
One of the systems designers said on Twitter:
“Much of the technology in the kiosk is similar to what's used in "green light" hubs, where the company on-boards drivers.”
The same kiosks are also being used in shopping malls in the San Francisco area.
Anurag Agarwalla, head of Uber's innovation team for its technology services group, said in a blog post:
"One influence for the Uber kiosk came from arcade games, which, compared to a PC at home, creates a social environment inviting others to help the primary user.
"That attribute, along with a live support representative, brings in a human element we wanted to highlight."
There's no word yet on where the next locations might be next, but the company says it hopes to use them to increase access at high-volume venues like airports, mainline rail and coach stations and even in busy hotels with a smaller Concierge foyer version.
The equipment looks like an ATM machine and uses a 32 inch top monitor. Below is a 10.5 inch iPad Air. To the side is a swipe/chip and Pin CC reader to make payments.
Make no mistake, this is coming and sooner than you would think. Even if Uber are refused a licence, other companies are already looking at this system.
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT:
We have already seen a similar less complicated version 10tears ago in the city, where a lamppost style beacon was erected.
Potential customers only had to press a red button and this was said to be enough to be classed as a ore booking.
Unfortunately for that company, some one kept putting super glue on the button rendering the beacon useless. In the end, the company gave up.
More up to date systems (on a slightly smaller scale are already being used by hotels and clubs to summoned private hire vehicles for their guests. Even Credit Card clearance company CMT have concierge equipment in hotels and hospitals which dispatch jobs to their Taxi drivers.