IT IS the controversial transport service which has sparked protests in cities around the world – and now it has arrived in Southampton.

Controversial car service Uber hit the road in the city today with fares around 10 to 15 per cent cheaper than conventional taxis.

Uber already operates in more than a dozen other UK cities, offering cheap fares to passengers who book and pay for a private hire car directly through its mobile phone app.

Once a booking is confirmed, the passenger can see the driver’s photo, name and car registration and can watch their car arrive in real-time on the app.

Fred Jones, Uber’s general manager for UK expansion, pictured above, said: “We’re really excited to be launching in Southampton.

"Over 27,000 people in the city have opened the app in the last 90 days, so we know there is real demand for the service here.”

The company says a journey from Highfield Campus to Bedford Place will cost around £5.40.

Using Southampton City Council’s fare information the Daily Echo calculated that a similar trip would cost £6.20 (or £6.95 between 11pm and 6am) using a conventional cab.

Mr Jones said the company structured its fares to meet local variations and that Southampton’s were higher than most other parts of the UK.

He said that they had interest from around 200 potential drivers and had spent the last week running checks on them at its new Partner Support Centre in Vernon Walk.

Uber drivers and their vehicles have to be licensed by the local authority for private hire and meet local licensing requirements, including full commercial insurance and an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check for criminal convictions the same as black cab drivers, teachers and care workers.

The firm says all of its drivers have full insurance.

Mr Jones claimed most of the Southampton driver applicants were already taxi or private hire drivers.

He said this should dispel criticism often levelled at Uber that its drivers were inexperienced and lacked knowledge of the area in which they operated.

Uber is a cashless system which Mr Jones said was popular with drivers who preferred not to have large amounts of cash in their vehicles which could make them a target for robbers.

San Francisco-based Uber currently operates in more than 60 countries around the world and in the UK is running in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, Merseyside, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Leicester and Belfast.

Late last year, the firm’s value was estimated at $62.5bn (£44.3bn) which is roughly the same worth as both BT (£45.6bn) and Lloyds Bank (£44.1bn).

In Portsmouth, Uber claims to have become the second biggest taxi operator since its launch in November, carrying tens of thousands of passengers each month.

In Southampton, the firm will be offering its standard uberX service but Mr Jones said that it was likely to introduce its XL – five seater and larger vehicles – and Exec - a Mercedes E-class or similar cars - in the near future.

Uber’s service goes live in Southampton from 4pm today, April 8.

Daily Echo:

Uber Controversy

In 2014 it was banned in Belgium and Spain and Germany also stopped the company from operating for a short time.

After one of its drivers was accused of raping a woman Uber was banned from New Delhi in December Its UberPop service - a ridesharing service which connects private car owners to passengers, which is not currently available in the UK - has been banned in the Netherlands and France.

In May 2015 Italian judge Claudio Marangoni banned the UberPop app for unfair competition practices.

Earlier this year, cabbies in Southampton launched the “Cab My Ride” phone app, designed to capture the smartphone audience before Uber could launch in the city.

GMB Union in legal fight with Uber

With big name investors Google and Goldman Sachs behind it, Uber has grown rapidly around the world but has often met with fierce opposition and angry taxi drivers seeking to protect their livelihoods staging protests which have brought the centres of London and Paris to a standstill.

While it may be a benefit for consumers, a top union official has warned that Uber is bad news for drivers who join them.

Steve Garelick, branch secretary for GMB Professional Drivers, said that many of his members in London were very unhappy with their experience at the hands of Uber.

“It’s great for consumers but in reality consumers don’t care how much the driver earns but some are having to work 70 to 80 hours just to cover their costs,” said Mr Garelick.

He said areas without Uber should be wary of the firm. “If the market for taxis already exists what value do they bring? All they do is destroy what is already there by driving down rates with an over- supply of drivers.”

The GMB is contesting Uber’s assertion that drivers are “partners” who are not entitled to rights normally afforded to workers.

The union has instructed Leigh Day to take legal action in the UK on behalf of members driving for Uber on the grounds that Uber is in breach of a legal duty to pay the national minimum wage and to provide holidays, health and safety and on discipline and grievances.

The case is set to be heard at a tribunal in London in July.

• The story was updated at 11.53am to make it clear all Uber vehicles have full commercial insurance.