Usually I feel bad for traditional businesses quickly displaced by emerging startups. However, I've been in too many cabs where the driver is constantly on the phone while driving, abusing the speed limit, slamming on the breaks every 8 seconds, foul odors, dirty vehicles, roundabout routes, the list goes on. Good riddance.
Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
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Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#12> Among biggest impacts of the ride services has been the drop in taxi rides taken by people in ramp taxis, which carry people in wheelchairs. As the ride services have grown and the number of cabs has diminished, so has the availability of wheelchair-accessible taxis, which are costlier to operate. That's certainly a negative effect, but why would it result from the rise of ridesharing services? If taxi companies ne…
It's worth pointing out that they seem to have a monopoly in handicapped transport too. Not saying this is a major plus and not saying it's a profitable market, but they can at least use it to their advantage in marketing and courts.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#13> Among biggest impacts of the ride services has been the drop in taxi rides taken by people in ramp taxis, which carry people in wheelchairs. As the ride services have grown and the number of cabs has diminished, so has the availability of wheelchair-accessible taxis, which are costlier to operate. That's certainly a negative effect, but why would it result from the rise of ridesharing services? If taxi companies ne…
The accessible ones probably use more fuel per mile.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#14Usually I feel bad for traditional businesses quickly displaced by emerging startups. However, I've been in too many cabs where the driver is constantly on the phone while driving, abusing the speed limit, slamming on the breaks every 8 seconds, foul odors, dirty vehicles, roundabout routes, the list goes on. Good riddance.
Amen to that. Living here in SF, the customer service aspect of cabs is appalling. I'm tired of getting dirty looks for paying with a credit card, having cabs with their light on and nobody in them drive right by me, playing the "where are you going" game, drivers talking on phones, and general surliness.
The day the industry unionized, that pushed me over the edge. I'm now 100% using Uber to get around and my only regret is that I didn't try it sooner - it's awesome.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#15I'm going to call this submarine marketing (well, really submarine lobbying) on the part of taxi companies.
If they were truly in dire straits, they'd be turning in their medallions and the city would be struggling to find new buyers.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#16> Among biggest impacts of the ride services has been the drop in taxi rides taken by people in ramp taxis, which carry people in wheelchairs. As the ride services have grown and the number of cabs has diminished, so has the availability of wheelchair-accessible taxis, which are costlier to operate. That's certainly a negative effect, but why would it result from the rise of ridesharing services? If taxi companies ne…
I am sure there will soon be uber accessible.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#17Yellow Taxi, Green Cab decimated themselves. Living in SF there was one thing you learned quickly: calling the taxi was a complete waste of time. The reason Uber, Lyft, etc won was because they could actually perform a job the taxi's had been failing at for years.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#18Never has creative destruction ever been so enjoyable to observe and partake. For all the waiting in the cold, rude cabbies, cash only bullshit, and lack of availability, to the taxi industry of SF, I say to you: you have only yourselves and SF City Council to blame.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#19Want to kill Uber and Lyft? Require drivers to be as ADA-compliant as taxi services.
Given how few rides occur (less than what a single taxi driver sees in a month), it seems like the sort of thing Uber/Lyft could subsidize, particularly if all they commit to is the incredibly crappy service levels you get from the Taxi company.
Re: Ride services decimate S.F. taxi industry's business
#20"decimate", so they reduced it by 10%?