UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business • Hacker News Board

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#11

Post by grandalf » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 1:55 PM UTC

ari_ wrote: post #4

This may work in SFO. But does anyone know if the town car companies in NYC (Dial 7, Carmel etc etc etc) have overcapacity issues? In the everyone is a taxi model- do you really want to get into a car without knowing how that person drives? There are people in my own family I won't drive with, let alone pay them to drive me somewhere.

The argument about not knowing how someone drives applies to any bus, taxi, etc., regardless of how it was booked so long as you haven't ridden with the driver before.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#12

Post by far33d » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:00 PM UTC

I used cabulous to hail a cab in San Francisco this weekend. Very similar service, but uses medallion taxis with regular meter rates. You have to pay the driver normally. It was a great experience and I imagine these types of services will be commodity eventually.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#13

Post by patio11 » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:01 PM UTC

keltex wrote: post #8

Sound like a nice idea, but unfortunately taxis are a regulated industry in most major cities (e.g. NYC, Boston, Chicago). The difference between a taxi and non-taxi are usually that a taxi license or medallion is required in order to legally stop for somebody hailing down a cab on a street. If this service became at all popular, it is very likely that cities would immediately include "mobile hailing" as also requiri…

Medallions are a conspiracy against the public, especially the poor and minorities, who both are disproportionately refused cab service and prevented from lawfully pursuing a value-creating occupation in their communities which requires only modest capital and no special training.

See also hairdressing regulations and a host of others.

I could be persuaded there exists an optimum amount of regulation for compensated car rides north of that for uncompensated car rides, but medallions have to go. With market values in the six figures though, good luck: holders have solid incentives for corruption like their lives depend on it, but the average citizen just gets minority overcharged, and the worst affected do not vote or matter in most political calculuses.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#14

Post by obiefernandez » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:11 PM UTC

Various commenters are saying that cities would simply define "mobile hailing" as also requiring a license. Okay, maybe, but would it matter? How would it be enforced? And could any particular city hold UberCab liable? Enough to force them to stop?

The whole concept sounds particularly disruptive because it seems that it would be so difficult to police.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#15

Post by amirmc » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:16 PM UTC

keltex wrote: post #8

Sound like a nice idea, but unfortunately taxis are a regulated industry in most major cities (e.g. NYC, Boston, Chicago). The difference between a taxi and non-taxi are usually that a taxi license or medallion is required in order to legally stop for somebody hailing down a cab on a street. If this service became at all popular, it is very likely that cities would immediately include "mobile hailing" as also requiri…

In the UK, 'mobile hailing' would be equivalent to pre-booking. In many parts of the UK pre-booked cabs are referred to as Private Hire vehicles. The only cabs you can hail on the street are Hackney Carriages. I believe unlicensed minicabs are illegal in the UK but London still seems to have problems with them.

For both Private Hire and Hackney Carriages, the cars/drivers are licensed and must meet regulatory requirements regarding vehicles and insurance policies. I believe the requirements for Hackney Carriages are more stringent.

Those licences exist to protect the public.

For both types of licensed drivers, UberCab would be a great extension. However, I can only imagine it working if the taxi firms themselves were willing to implement it.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#16

Post by yardie » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:17 PM UTC

It's a cool idea. And an evolution of black car service (they have to be called and don't normally solicit for work).

As like any other hire service, they operate under a difference set of rules. They have to be licensed, need to meet size requirements, and they have to carry much more insurance.

Some random driver with a pickup and just basic PIP coverage probably wouldn't be a good choice. Especially if you are paying for it.

Also, reading their website, they are very interested in working with limo companies and cab services not random guy with 30 minutes to spare. So no, this is not like AirBNB, at all.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#17

Post by sethg » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:17 PM UTC

Is “everyone could be a cabbie” really such a lucrative prospect, from the drivers’ point of view? My understanding is that when you take into account the uncertainty of income, the fixed cost of leasing and maintaining a cab (of course, part of this is the cost of leasing the medallion), and the risk of passengers attacking you or simply not paying, cab drivers don’t net that much money... which may be one reason why, at least in Boston and NYC, cabbies tend to be immigrants.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#18

Post by yummyfajitas » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:18 PM UTC

grandalf wrote: post #10

smoody wrote: post #6

a friend of a good friend of mine was brutally raped by an independent Lincoln Town Car licensed driver (in NYC). I would advise (my personal opinion) women to avoid such services and deal with the hassle of getting a cab. Getting into a stranger's car and closing the door behind you is an action that should not be taken lightly. That is why I always take a taxi or use a well-established car service (as in substantia…

It seems that the rating system might have prevented this... maybe others thought the driver was "creepy", etc. and might have given him/her a bad rating, which might have dissuaded your friend from choosing his/her car.

Certainly the fact that the driver is completely traceable (more so than a yellow cab driver) would dissuade most criminally inclined cabbies.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#19

Post by tptacek » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:24 PM UTC

patio11 wrote: post #13

keltex wrote: post #8

Sound like a nice idea, but unfortunately taxis are a regulated industry in most major cities (e.g. NYC, Boston, Chicago). The difference between a taxi and non-taxi are usually that a taxi license or medallion is required in order to legally stop for somebody hailing down a cab on a street. If this service became at all popular, it is very likely that cities would immediately include "mobile hailing" as also requiri…

Medallions are a conspiracy against the public, especially the poor and minorities, who both are disproportionately refused cab service and prevented from lawfully pursuing a value-creating occupation in their communities which requires only modest capital and no special training. See also hairdressing regulations and a host of others. I could be persuaded there exists an optimum amount of regulation for compensated…

Disagree. The policies behind medallions may be stupid and unfair, but their existence provides a mechanism of accountability (you can lose them, and they're hellaciously expensive) that doesn't exist with iPhone dispatch.

It doesn't surprise you that cab drivers in Chicago basically never drive you to random destinations, or change fares midway through the ride? The goodness of cab driver hearts isn't what's preventing it.

Re: UberCab to disrupt the Taxi/Limo business

#20

Post by yardie » Tue, Aug 31, 2010, 2:25 PM UTC

obiefernandez wrote: post #14

Various commenters are saying that cities would simply define "mobile hailing" as also requiring a license. Okay, maybe, but would it matter? How would it be enforced? And could any particular city hold UberCab liable? Enough to force them to stop? The whole concept sounds particularly disruptive because it seems that it would be so difficult to police.

If the cabbies complain loud enough I'm sure they can set up a sting. Nothing stopping them from downloading the same app and hailing a ubercab. When you can't present a medallion or commercial drivers license you're busted.

And there is nothing stopping them from going into court and throwing water on the whole thing with an injunction.