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Uber

stonebob

Just back from London where I used Airbnb and Uber with great success......Uber was half the price of a taxi and there seemed to be one around every corner ..everyone loves them ..I know there's an argument about regulation of drivers but there's a lot of dodgy taxi drivers too just read the papers ...the drivers were polite ..spotless cars..and they don't tap on..

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listermint

usernamegoes wrote: »

I'll let VC funds pay for my trips and if they run out of money and fares go up such that taxis are cheaper I might go back to taxis if I thought the value was bad with uber.

It can't form a monopoly. What exists now is a monopoly.

Taxies won't be around to compete.

It's clear you don't know what a monopoly is.

Uber is practically it in the US. A fact i learned when trying to book a cab from the office.

end of the road

usernamegoes wrote: »

I'll let VC funds pay for my trips and if they run out of money and fares go up such that taxis are cheaper I might go back to taxis if I thought the value was bad with uber.

It can't form a monopoly. What exists now is a monopoly.

uber is a taxi, so you would be going from 1 taxi to another. uber can and will form a monopoly, what exists now isn't a monopoly as there are thousands of taxi operators from self-employed to companies meaning a huge amount of competition.

n97 mini

end of the road wrote: »

uber is a taxi, so you would be going from 1 taxi to another. uber can and will form a monopoly, what exists now isn't a monopoly as there are thousands of taxi operators from self-employed to companies meaning a huge amount of competition.

Virtually all taxis now charge the same rates. In any other industry this would be considered cartel-like behaviour, as it results in no meaningful competition.

If every filling station in Ireland charged the same for petrol and diesel it wouldn't be tolerated.

EDIT: Uber can't form a monopoly as it already has competition from the likes of Lyft, which is usually a bit cheaper.

trellheim

Virtually all taxis now charge the same rates

they are not required to, you can walk up to any cab in the airport and negotiate a fare if I recall.

Cookie_Monster

n97 mini wrote: »

Virtually all taxis now charge the same rates. In any other industry this would be considered cartel-like behaviour, as it results in no meaningful competition.

there are set max rates. With so many individual operators rather than companies there's no incentive for an individual to offer a cheaper rates, they just won't have the marketing and availability to make it work.
If there were larger branded companies and everyone knew that "The Bright Green painted Cab Co" was 10% cheaper than "Purple Cabs" they'd definitely try and hail only a green car...

n97 mini

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

there are set max rates. With so many individual operators rather than companies there's no incentive for an individual to offer a cheaper rates, they just won't have the marketing and availability to make it work.
If there were larger branded companies and everyone knew that "The Bright Green painted Cab Co" was 10% cheaper than "Purple Cabs" they'd definitely try and hail only a green car...

Yep, all true. As there are no Green or Purple cabs it's chose the maximum rate or get the bus or be collected.

n97 mini

trellheim wrote: »

they are not required to, you can walk up to any cab in the airport and negotiate a fare if I recall.

Or just get the bus or a lift and leave the taxis where they are. Personally I fly 3-6 times a year but the last time I got a taxi* (actually a hackney) to the airport was 2006.

howiya

n97 mini wrote: »

Yep, all true. As there are no Green or Purple cabs it's chose the maximum rate or get the bus or be collected.

Out of interest do you haggle with the barman when you go for a pint in the next village?

n97 mini

howiya wrote: »

Out of interest do you haggle with the barman when you go for a pint in the next village?

Haggling is generally not my thing. But then again the bars don't charge exactly the same price regardless of where I go so I don't need to haggle. If I don't like the price I take my wallet elsewhere.

howiya

n97 mini wrote: »

Haggling is generally not my thing. But then again the bars don't charge exactly the same price regardless of where I go so I don't need to haggle. If I don't like the price I take my wallet elsewhere.

That's one thing we agree on. Not much of a haggler either. It's just from the outside looking in it seems that you don't mind the price of everything else except taxis.

In the example you gave a taxi was €10 and you're prepared to pay €5. While you may take your business elsewhere if the publican is charging too much, it seems unlikely that you'd be able to achieve a similar 50% saving yet you expect it from a taxi/rideshare driver.

n97 mini

howiya wrote: »

That's one thing we agree on. Not much of a haggler either. It's just from the outside looking in it seems that you don't mind the price of everything else except taxis.

In the example you gave a taxi was €10 and you're prepared to pay €5. While you may take your business elsewhere if the publican is charging too much, it seems unlikely that you'd be able to achieve a similar 50% saving yet you expect it from a taxi/rideshare driver.

No, you're kind of trying to put words in my mouth there.

If all publicans were charging €10 a pint I see it as bad value and I would buy exactly zero pints. If a publican was charging €5 I'd happily buy 4 pints to sit in his pub and drink it.

So if publicans were all charging €10 and I could get a can in the offy for €2.10, I'd buy lots of cans, but again exactly zero pints in the pub, as to me it's poor value.

This is what is happening with taxis and my perception of value. If they were cheaper I'd actually spend more on them and they'd get more work and make more money (out of me) as a result.

thesandeman

n97 mini wrote: »

So if publicans were all charging €10 and I could get a can in the offy for €2.10, I'd buy lots of cans, but again exactly zero pints in the pub, as to me it's poor value.

This is what is happening with taxis and my perception of value. If they were cheaper I'd actually spend more on them and they'd get more work and make more money (out of me) as a result.

Would you get the taxi to pick you up at your front door to bring you to your back door so you could crack open another can to enjoy with yourself?*

*Just a scenario

stonebob

Uber seems to work by drivers getting less than taxi drivers ..and theres no extras for passengers or nights etc....they are slower because they cant use bus lanes ...but people will choose price most times...if uber is losing money ..the top guys must creaming it off...

LuckyLloyd

markodaly wrote: »

It is not a zero sum game. Are airlines making less money now than the 80's when airfares were much much higher?

What's your personal opinion on Uber's operations in India? All above board? The glory of the free market and competitiveness?

For the uninitiated:

https://qz.com/908802/uber-and-ola-drivers-in-india-are-now-aggressively-demanding-better-pay-and-working-conditions/
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/8/15759166/uber-india-rape-case-medical-records-privacy-law

markodaly

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

What's your personal opinion on Uber's operations in India? All above board? The glory of the free market and competitiveness?

For the uninitiated:

https://qz.com/908802/uber-and-ola-drivers-in-india-are-now-aggressively-demanding-better-pay-and-working-conditions/
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/8/15759166/uber-india-rape-case-medical-records-privacy-law

Uber != ride-sharing.

I said in another thread that I am not a fan of Uber corporate practice but that does not mean that ride sharing does not have merit.

Third_Echelon

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I use them pretty regularly. They are brilliant! Between Uber and Lyft there is always an option of a car available... Cars are generally new, clean and drivers are pleasant (offer a bottle of water etc).

Taxis here are ridiculously expensive. A five minute journey that lasts a few miles is around $20, whereas an uber is around $7. No comparison!

It's really good when going to the airport for example. A lot cheaper than driving and parking the car at the airport. One thing that makes them so popular in the U.S. is that public transport isn't great or non-existent outside major downtown/urban centres. It may sound mad, but Ireland (or I should say, Dublin) actually has decent public transport compared to a lot of the U.S.

When I renew my car insurance, there is always an option there to tag-on ride-sharing insurance and it's not a rip-off!

Comparing the U.S. and Irish markets isn't apples to apples, but that shouldn't mean that ride-sharing couldn't work in Ireland. If there is a will, there's a way.

makeorbrake

It's futile to stand in the way of tech. Regulate of course but a blanket bank like we have here - i'm sorry but protectionism is never the way to go. It means we will always be late to the party and the whole country suffers as a consequence.

I like not having to carry cash where I am. In the country I'm in right now, dodgy **** is likely to happen in a taxi. Uber is electronic meaning drivers can be traced.

MJohnston

Was that really worth resurrecting this year old thread for?

makeorbrake

MJohnston wrote: »

Was that really worth resurrecting this year old thread for?

Was your post worth being a knob?

The last post was in January. Uber still isn't allowed in Ireland - whilst some other countries allow it and others try and hold it back. The topic is still relevant.

Other than that, I didn't see the date of the last post. My interest was peaked as a result of a report on how uber is being handled in the country i'm in right now.

So once again, don't be a knob.

MJohnston

makeorbrake wrote: »

Was your post worth being a knob?

The last post was in January. Uber still isn't allowed in Ireland - whilst some other countries allow it and others try and hold it back. The topic is still relevant.

Other than that, I didn't see the date of the last post. My interest was peaked as a result of a report on how uber is being handled in the country i'm in right now.

So once again, don't be a knob.

makeorbrake

right, but are these taxis with taxi licenses?

punisher5112

Very racist taxi....

punisher5112

Eh.... Hackney.....

end of the road

makeorbrake wrote: »

It's futile to stand in the way of tech. Regulate of course but a blanket bank like we have here - i'm sorry but protectionism is never the way to go. It means we will always be late to the party and the whole country suffers as a consequence.

I like not having to carry cash where I am. In the country I'm in right now, dodgy **** is likely to happen in a taxi. Uber is electronic meaning drivers can be traced.

protectionism sometimes is very much the way to go depending on what is being protected or what the protectionism is designed to stop. this is certainly one case where protectionism is fine given there is plenty of competition within the taxi industry. the country isn't suffering because uber isn't here.

makeorbrake

end of the road wrote: »

the country isn't suffering because uber isn't here.

That's open to interpretation. If other countries are actively embracing tech and permitting it, then presumably we are missing out. Those that want to work a convenient working model are missing out.

Where uber is simply being allowed, it's winning hands down. Therefore, people must see added benefits or else that wouldnt happen. Do I like the idea that uber as a company are dominant? Not really - I'd like to see some decentralized model emerge but you have to give them credit for disrupting.

MJohnston

Uber is "winning" by ignoring and flouting regulations and laws.

And they're still managing to lose nearly $1 billion a quarter! They've had a disastrous couple of years as a company.

magicbastarder

makeorbrake wrote: »

If other countries are actively embracing tech and permitting it, then presumably we are missing out.

that's an insanely naive statement.

makeorbrake

MJohnston wrote: »

Uber is "winning" by ignoring and flouting regulations and laws.

I'd imagine that needs to be assessed on a market by market basis. For example, what laws are they flouting in the U.S.?

MJohnston wrote: »

And they're still managing to lose nearly $1 billion a quarter! They've had a disastrous couple of years as a company.

If that's the case and you feel that their proposition is unsustainable, then you have little to worry about as they will simply cease to exist (if the model actually is unsustainable..).

makeorbrake

magicbastarder wrote: »

that's an insanely naive statement.

Well, perhaps it is? However, I'll be none the wiser unless you care to expand on that statement?

punisher5112

Straight up there may well be better drivers and less dangerous criminals doing it as many taxis are.