Uber could soon officially operate from Auckland Airport

  • 15/03/2016
(File)
(File)

Ride-sharing company Uber may soon be operating out of Auckland Airport.

The airport is currently in talks with the company as it re-jigs its taxi tender and charging processes.

Retail and commercial general manager Richard Barker says there will be a standard fee for all operators based on its ranks and price caps.

Currently companies are charging $7 to $8 for a pick-up fee, but this will be set to a maximum pick-up fee of $5, and drop-off fees will also be capped at $2.

"The lower weekly rental will result in dramatically lower fees for the taxi drivers, enabling them to be much more competitive," he says.

"So I would expect the prices for a taxi trip from the airport to the city to come down significantly," he says.

Mr Barker also wants to introduce more competition into the mix.

"The focus of the change is to shift the key criteria for selecting taxi operators on the rank to those who will offer the best prices and be a good consistent level of service to our passengers, rather than those who have bid the most for the right to operate at the airport," Mr Barker says.

He says previously companies bid for the right to operate at the airport, but this bidding process will be replaced with a lower rental fee that companies will pay,  directly translating into lower fees for drivers.

The airport has been in discussions with Uber and is open to them becoming partners.

"Rather than a few guys hanging around they can become an official partner. They can wait in the designated holding areas so they can have more drivers here and it gives them potentially more choice."

The new tender licence period will be finalised in May and will roll-out in June this year.

Newshub.