Business and a Brew

Uber: It solved the whole problem that you had with standard taxi services

Danielle Thompson

Remember when getting a cab meant waiting in the rain, fumbling for cash, and hoping the driver knew your route? Uber came along in 2009 and flipped the script, offering sleek, on-demand rides with a few taps on your phone. What started as a luxury app has become a global giant, now holding over 75% of the US rideshare market and contributing a massive £5 billion to the UK economy by 2024.

But innovation always comes with consequences. As Uber rose, traditional taxi services declined, with London’s iconic black cabs falling in just a few years. The company faced intense legal battles around driver classification, workers’ rights, and safety concerns.

So, is Uber the hero of modern transport, or just another tech disruptor that broke the rules to dominate the market? We dig into its evolution, controversy, and impact, looking at how it reshaped urban mobility while forcing entire industries to play catch-up. We also talk about Uber’s pivot towards electric vehicles and whether its future is more sustainable, or just another layer of polished PR.

If you’ve ever hit “Book Ride” without thinking twice, this one’s for you. Let’s explore the convenience, the cost, and the complexity of the app that changed how we move through the world.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.