Passengers were left waiting for up to two hours for an Uber at Australia’s largest airport after the taxi giant introduced a new ‘PIN technology’.
The dedicated pick-up area is located in Sydney Airport’s International Terminal, approximately 20 metres from the terminal doors on the south side of T1 taxi rank.
The process for booking an Uber from the designated zone was overhauled on Tuesday, reportedly causing chaos at the busy airport.
Instead of having to find a pre-assigned driver upon arrival, passengers must request an Uber ride and obtain a six-digit PIN.
The traveler then walks to the pickup location and gets into the first available car, or joins the line until another Uber arrives.
They then pass the PIN code to the driver so they can verify the vehicle before getting in.
However, one passenger told Daily Mail Australia that passengers have had to wait up to two hours for an Uber ride since the integration of the PIN technology.
“Traffic has come to a standstill, causing passengers to miss their flights,” authorities said.
Chaos has reportedly broken out at Sydney International Airport after Uber changed the way passengers book a car with the taxi giant (pick-up zone pictured here)
‘Poor signage and poor planning are the main factors contributing to overcongestion.
‘Taxi and Uber drivers also cannot deal with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who have to be called in repeatedly.’
Mark Zaouk, Group Executive Commercial at Sydney Airport, said the technology is designed to make departures more efficient.
“We are proud to be the first airport in the state to test Uber’s PIN technology, which will provide a better passenger experience and increase efficiency in the district,” Zaouk said in a statement.
The technology is designed for high-volume environments and has reduced wait times for travelers at other airports by “up to 50 percent,” he added.
Emma Foley, managing director of Uber ANZ, said the dedicated space for Uber pickups would provide a “smoother and more efficient experience” for riders and drivers.
According to airport data, 10 percent of journeys through the terminal in the six months to June 18, 2024 were carpool pick-ups and drop-offs.
Uber has changed the process for booking a ride from the airport, requiring passengers to use ‘PIN technology’ (pictured passengers departing Sydney Airport)
In the six months to June, this figure was 41 percent.
In contrast, the data shows that the number of taxi rides and drop-off transactions has decreased.
In 2018, taxis accounted for 57 percent of pick-up and drop-off transactions, but in June this percentage dropped to 27 percent.
The change has also angered the taxi industry.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim said the new arrangement gave Uber an unfair advantage over taxi drivers.
Taxi companies are generally not allowed to pick up passengers via ‘rank and call’ or without a booking.
According to Mr Abrahim, the airport’s measure is contrary to this practice.
“There are clear laws that prohibit taxi companies from picking up passengers without a booking,” he said.
“This is what the NSW government is now allowing. They’ve given Uber an exemption from that law to get around that regulation.”
Pictured is a map of Sydney Airport’s pick-up area showing the new Uber zone
He also said Uber drivers do not bear the compliance costs that taxi drivers incur.
“If you want to indicate rank and rank, you need cameras, alarms, GPS tracking, signs, markers and equipment,” he said.
“Uber doesn’t have access to this and yet they have access to this piece of the market.”
He said Uber’s interference in the pick-up zone would reduce taxi drivers’ income.
“There’s also the human side, the financial impact,” he said. “Ranking and hail rates are going to continue to come down, which is going to impact drivers. Who’s going to oversee that?”
The airport said the drop-off arrangements will remain the same.
Passengers who choose another taxi company will still have to walk the same distance to the existing zone.
There will be seven parking spaces for Ubers in the zone.
