Uber set to roll out in Nelson

Uber is coming to Nelson, but a local taxi company says it’s prepared for the ride share giant.

The phone app transport service, which has undercut taxi fares around the world, will launch in Nelson in October.

Uber’s New Zealand country manager, Amanda Gilmore, said thousands of people had opened the app in Nelson looking for the service, which showed there was a demand.

‘‘Nelson is such a hub of tourism. The international tourists who have used the Uber app overseas or in other cities around New Zealand . . . they’re looking for that same service in Nelson.’’

She said Uber was excited to be another transport option and to ‘‘support the community as it gears up for summer’’.

Uber is nearly doubling its New Zealand platform, with Nelson joining Rotorua, Taupo, Napier-Hastings, New Plymouth and Palmerston North as new destinations announced on Tuesday. It is currently in Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin.

Uber users download an app and enter their credit card details. Once ride details are entered, the app gives a price before showing details of the vehicle and the driver’s location through GPS tracking.

Gilmore said Uber would provide job opportunities, starting with a small number of drivers and growing as demand increased. It wanted to ‘‘complement and supplement’’ existing transport options.

However, many taxi companies around the world have seen a decline in customers once Uber arrives.

Director and chairman of Nelson City Taxis, Graeme Page, said the company had prepared for Uber’s arrival with its own booking app and technology. ‘‘We’re reasonably well positioned for competition.’’

He said the global company would have ‘‘a little bit of impact at the beginning’’, but he was dubious about it retaining drivers in Nelson, due to low pay.

New Zealand Taxi Federation executive director John Hart said only time would tell if Uber affected Nelson’s taxi companies.

He said Uber had had a varied impact around the country.

‘‘There are some centres where it’s hurt quite a lot and they’ve also taken a lot of people off public transport, but there are other centres in New Zealand where they’ve had very little impact on local companies.’’

Uber’s move into Nelson was no surprise, he said.

‘‘We just think everyone should have the same rules and they should be enforced.’’