I was under the impression that Uber drivers were part timers working spare time. As such they can't be counted on.
I live in a somewhat rural area east of Oshawa. A few weeks ago I needed to arrange a ride for a family member and I pulled up the Uber app and was surprised to see several available cars that would have covered the trip. Seems coverage is pretty good.
If they take over the whole industry expect vomit in their cars as well.
I think a key thing to remember is that Uber drivers are using their *personal* vehicles. Accordingly, it's in their best interest to keep them clean for two reasons: One, because it's their personal vehicle..and most people have some pride in ownership..and #2,
because of the rating system that is a big part of Uber. Filthy smelly car full of garbage? That last passenger (and probably every one afterwards) is going to note it in their post-trip review, and next thing you know, nobody wants to ride with you anymore. So, it's very self-harming and gives Uber drivers a very strong incentive to make their car a pleasant place to be.
I have heard that they increase prices in high demand times. Other than hotels what businesses can do this?
Fair enough, but the taxi industry would do the same thing if they could. It would be incredibly naive to think otherwise. Perhaps part of the road ahead for the taxi companies is deregulation that allows them to do it as well, and the drivers could make a decent living as a result - it would level the playing field which is what most of them are crying about, right? In the end, nobody is forcing you to utilize their services in such situations, despite all the crybaby stories of "Uber charged me $1000 to get home!"...
after they acknowledged it several times on their phone before hailing the car. Drunk is no excuse - if they can navigate their phone well enough to open the app, operate it, and push all the required buttons to hail the ride...they are apparently able to freakin' read still.
The biggest issue I see is the insurance angle. Uber says they will cover their drivers while the insurance companies say the drivers aren't covered.
Aviva is coming out with a supplementary Uber coverage option in Ontario reportedly by the end of this month and Intact was looking at it as well. That soon removes that as an issue. I agree though, part of the regulation should be ensuring that proper commercial insurance is carried - yes, Uber claims to have self-insured their drivers, but when it comes time to make a claim that seems foggy.
