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Old 04-28-2014, 08:01 AM
 
13,811 posts, read 27,378,934 times
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How do they get around all the taxi licensing fees and associated costs? What about insurance? If I were a taxi CO I'd be pretty peeved with this service.

I'm all for innovation but I also want everyone to play by the same rules.
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Old 04-28-2014, 08:19 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wheelsup View Post
How do they get around all the taxi licensing fees and associated costs? What about insurance? If I were a taxi CO I'd be pretty peeved with this service..
Are they allowed to pick up passengers at the airport? I had to take a cab home once and the driver reported having to sit in line for hours, waiting to be able to pick up passengers. I tried to look up it on their web sites, but they seem to want you to create an account or d/l the app, so I gave up.
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Old 04-28-2014, 08:28 AM
 
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Originally Posted by don6170 View Post
Are they allowed to pick up passengers at the airport? I had to take a cab home once and the driver reported having to sit in line for hours, waiting to be able to pick up passengers. I tried to look up it on their web sites, but they seem to want you to create an account or d/l the app, so I gave up.
My understanding with how airport taxis work is they get staged, and first come first serve after that. So that is why he had to wait. It's true even in other countries. Some drivers refuse to bring you to your location because the fare won't justify waiting those hours.

There is a lot of money in taxi services, unfortunately drivers don't get much of it.
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Old 04-28-2014, 11:54 AM
 
Location: Don't be so snarky
1,521 posts, read 2,760,148 times
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Clearing up some things here:

1) Yes Uber can pick you up from the airport
2) Taxis suck, Uber is a welcome disruption to that broken, inefficient, customer-last industry. Say hello to clean, safe, luxurious cars with friendly drivers and say goodbye to payment issues, bone-jarring suspensions, funny smells, "my credit card machine isnt working, dont you have cash?", angry drivers when they get a short/quick fare, etc.
3) Of course you need to create an account. The foundation of Uber is that you set up a profile with your credit card stored so you dont ever have to deal with payment. Without a profile, without a payment type confirmed, no Uber.

The rules have changed in this industry, and it's about time. Welcome to customer-first car service...once you try it you won't ever go back.
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Old 04-28-2014, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rory breaker View Post
1) Yes Uber can pick you up from the airport
"Can", as in yes they can physically pick you up, or can as in they are allowed to? According to the RDU web site (RDU Taxi)
"RDU Taxi, Inc. is the sole, licensed taxi service provider for Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Metered fares and customer service standards are implemented and monitored by the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority."

Quote:
Originally Posted by rory breaker View Post
3) Of course you need to create an account. The foundation of Uber is that you set up a profile with your credit card stored so you dont ever have to deal with payment. Without a profile, without a payment type confirmed, no Uber.
I understand you need an account to use the service. I was just interested in learning about their rates, etc, which is not easily available to a non-account holder.
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Old 04-28-2014, 12:40 PM
 
13,811 posts, read 27,378,934 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rory breaker View Post
Clearing up some things here:

1) Yes Uber can pick you up from the airport
2) Taxis suck, Uber is a welcome disruption to that broken, inefficient, customer-last industry. Say hello to clean, safe, luxurious cars with friendly drivers and say goodbye to payment issues, bone-jarring suspensions, funny smells, "my credit card machine isnt working, dont you have cash?", angry drivers when they get a short/quick fare, etc.
3) Of course you need to create an account. The foundation of Uber is that you set up a profile with your credit card stored so you dont ever have to deal with payment. Without a profile, without a payment type confirmed, no Uber.

The rules have changed in this industry, and it's about time. Welcome to customer-first car service...once you try it you won't ever go back.
You work for them I gather.

I don't think anyone is saying that taxis don't suck. They tend to be dirty, with sketchy drivers, etc. However, ironically, many taxis are signing up to be Uber service providers.

But I'll look at it from another perspective, because I too am in the transportation industry.

If an airline started up but did not use licensed pilots, or trained FA's, did no FAA required mx, paid no taxes (taxes are about 1/3 the cost of a typical airline fare), insurance, landing fees, or gate fees and did not have the organizational structure the FAA requires of a 121 carrier, you bet they could charge a heck of a lot less and offer a better product.

How does Uber get around the taxi licensing aspects of their service, because they are essentially offering a public/charter common carrier transportation service.

This just came out today on the subject:

Uber is not a taxi service - baltimoresun.com

I laughed at this part:

Quote:
While Veolia Transportation spokesman Dwight Kines says that Uber does the exact same thing as Yellow Cab, he is mistaken. Unlike the cab companies, Uber cars are clean, their drivers are personable and knowledgeable, and they arrive on time!
Again, how does that NOT make them a cab company? It seems Uber's argument is that it's a smartphone app, not a taxi service. Really?

Localities and the feds regulate public transportation services. Inter & intra state etc. Taxis have to abide by it, and so should any service that provides "taxi like" services. Otherwise get rid of the requirements for everyone.
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Old 04-28-2014, 02:49 PM
 
Location: Don't be so snarky
1,521 posts, read 2,760,148 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wheelsup View Post
You work for them I gather.

I don't think anyone is saying that taxis don't suck. They tend to be dirty, with sketchy drivers, etc. However, ironically, many taxis are signing up to be Uber service providers.

But I'll look at it from another perspective, because I too am in the transportation industry.

If an airline started up but did not use licensed pilots, or trained FA's, did no FAA required mx, paid no taxes (taxes are about 1/3 the cost of a typical airline fare), insurance, landing fees, or gate fees and did not have the organizational structure the FAA requires of a 121 carrier, you bet they could charge a heck of a lot less and offer a better product.

How does Uber get around the taxi licensing aspects of their service, because they are essentially offering a public/charter common carrier transportation service.

This just came out today on the subject:

Uber is not a taxi service - baltimoresun.com

I laughed at this part:

Again, how does that NOT make them a cab company? It seems Uber's argument is that it's a smartphone app, not a taxi service. Really?

Localities and the feds regulate public transportation services. Inter & intra state etc. Taxis have to abide by it, and so should any service that provides "taxi like" services. Otherwise get rid of the requirements for everyone.
I'm not sure what you're debating. Your airline analogy is fallacious since Uber drivers are licensed, and are regulated by things that actually matter (license, customer service, etc) vs whatever legacy taxi regulations have led to their service sucking. If this "organizational structure" you refer to is so glorious, then why do you describe the service that these regulations govern as "dirty, with sketchy drivers"? Clearly something is broken, no?

Also it's clear you haven't used Uber. It isn't cheaper, really, it's just more convenient and better quality.

We should be applauding companies for disrupting broken industries and not sitting by waiting for corrupt politicians to approve their innovation. Identify a problem, develop a solution, distribute the solution. That's the world I'm glad we live in. Here is a great article on the topic:

Uber and Tesla bust monopoly models - Chicago Tribune

Quote:
It isn't a question of competition or regulation. It's a question of serving the interests of consumers, not producers.
Cha ching.
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Old 04-28-2014, 03:10 PM
 
3,667 posts, read 6,560,260 times
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I didn't realize the demand for taxi services in the Triangle was significant enough to warrant even this thread. I'm living here seven years and have taken a taxi exactly one time, one way only.

Or is this one of those generational things where college students are celebrating while us middle-agers are trying to figure out how to program our remotes?
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:37 PM
 
13,811 posts, read 27,378,934 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rory breaker View Post
I'm not sure what you're debating. Your airline analogy is fallacious since Uber drivers are licensed, and are regulated by things that actually matter (license, customer service, etc) vs whatever legacy taxi regulations have led to their service sucking. If this "organizational structure" you refer to is so glorious, then why do you describe the service that these regulations govern as "dirty, with sketchy drivers"? Clearly something is broken, no?

Also it's clear you haven't used Uber. It isn't cheaper, really, it's just more convenient and better quality.

We should be applauding companies for disrupting broken industries and not sitting by waiting for corrupt politicians to approve their innovation. Identify a problem, develop a solution, distribute the solution. That's the world I'm glad we live in. Here is a great article on the topic:

Uber and Tesla bust monopoly models - Chicago Tribune



Cha ching.
I don't applaud anyone who skirts established rules and regs and thinks they are different. Reminds me of the free-loading racist rancher that was in the news over the last month.

You avoided the question. Get rid of the rules that taxis have to abide by or if Uber registers as a taxi service and complies with the local regs I'm cool with it. However what concerns me is the operators idea that they can just pick and choose laws to comply with and ignore.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:42 PM
 
13,811 posts, read 27,378,934 times
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Originally Posted by NYC2RDU View Post
I didn't realize the demand for taxi services in the Triangle was significant enough to warrant even this thread. I'm living here seven years and have taken a taxi exactly one time, one way only.

Or is this one of those generational things where college students are celebrating while us middle-agers are trying to figure out how to program our remotes?
It's what happens when technology outpaces the regulatory environment. Another example is "drones". Recently the FAA fined an operator of a small 5 lb RC plane $10,000 for violation of a part 91 regulation, which is the regs that normal manned aircraft operate under. A judge dismissed the fine, saying the FAA has no jurisdiction over RC planes, but they appealed. We'll see what happens but that is just one small example. There are multiple lawsuits against Uber including one that includes a fatality.
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