Passengers have been forced to wait up to two hours for an Uber at Australia’s largest airport after the ride-sharing giant introduced new “PIN technology”.
The dedicated pick-up area is located in Sydney Airport International Terminal, approximately 20 metres from the terminal doors at the south end of the T1 taxi area.
The process for booking an Uber from the designated area was overhauled on Tuesday, reportedly throwing the busy airport into chaos.
Instead of locating a pre-assigned driver once they arrive, passengers must request a ride from Uber and acquire a six-digit PIN number.
The rider then walks to the pickup area and either gets into the first available car or joins the queue until another Uber arrives.
They then share the PIN with the driver to verify the vehicle before getting into the car.
However, one passenger told Daily Mail Australia that passengers have had to wait up to two hours for an Uber since the integration of PIN technology.
“Traffic has come to a standstill, causing passengers to miss their flights,” they said.
Sydney International Airport has reportedly been thrown into chaos after Uber changed the way passengers booked a car with the ride-sharing giant (pick-up area shown)
‘Poor signage and overall planning are the main factors contributing to traffic congestion.
‘Taxi drivers and Uber drivers also do not get along with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), so they have to be called on multiple occasions.’
Mark Zaouk, commercial executive at Sydney Airport, said the technology was 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 experience for passengers and deliver greater efficiency on-site,” Zaouk said in a statement.
The technology is designed for high-volume environments and has reduced traveler wait times “by up to 50 percent at other airports,” he added.
Uber ANZ managing director Emma Foley said the dedicated space for Uber pickups would provide “more seamless and efficient experiences” for riders and drivers.
According to airport data, ride-sharing passenger pickups and drop-offs accounted for 10 percent of travel modes at the terminal in the six months to June 18, 2024.
Uber has changed the process of booking a ride from the airport, with passengers being required to use “PIN technology” (pictured, passengers exiting Sydney Airport)
In the six months to June, the proportion was 41 percent.
On the contrary, the data shows that taxi pick-ups and drop-offs have decreased.
In 2018, taxis accounted for 57 percent of pickups and drop-offs, but by June that share had dropped to a meager 27 percent.
The change has also angered the taxi industry.
NSW Taxi Council chief executive Nick Abrahim said the new deal gave Uber an unfair advantage over taxi drivers.
Rideshare companies are generally prohibited from picking up passengers using the “rank and hail” system or without prior reservation.
Mr Abrahim said the airport’s move contravened this practice.
“There are clear laws prohibiting ride-sharing companies from picking up passengers without prior reservation,” he said.
“This is what the New South Wales government is now allowing. They have given Uber an exemption from that law so that it can get around that regulation.”
Pictured is a map of the Sydney Airport pick-up area with the new Uber zone.
He also said Uber drivers did not bear the compliance costs that taxi drivers did.
“If you want to provide range and recall, you need cameras, duress alarms, GPS tracking, signals, markings and equipment,” he said.
“Uber has none of this and yet it can still access this portion of the market.”
He said Uber’s intrusion into the pick-up zone would erode taxi drivers’ earnings.
“There’s also the human aspect, the financial impact,” he said. “Public transport service fares are going to continue to deteriorate, which will affect drivers. Who is taking care of that?”
Arrangements for the transfer remain the same, the airport said.
Travelers opting for other rideshare companies will need to walk the same distance to the pre-existing area.
There will be seven bays for Ubers in the area.